Financially Naked: Recent Episodes
The Financial Gym
Your Best. Financial. Friends. (B.F.F.s) give you a weekly dose of personal finance stories, tips and insights. Join Trainers of The Financial Gym as they dig deep below the surface and get real about money! Along the way, they’ll be joined by members of the FinGym Fam for conversations about their own journeys of financial fitness and the triumphs and tribulations along the way.
We're taking some time to highlight our best Gymsplain Episodes, and next is our series busting some financial myths! With so much personal finance advice out there, it’s hard to know what to listen to.
In this episode, Catriona and Kylie delve into common misconceptions surrounding taxes, self-employment, credit card points, and more, offering valuable insights to empower listeners in their financial decisions.
Continuous learning and openness to new approaches are essential for achieving financial success, and our hosts are here to guide you every step of the way. Join us as we challenge conventional wisdom and share your wildest financial advice encounters—let's bust some financial myths together.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
We're taking some time to highlight our best Gymsplain Episodes, and next is our series busting some financial myths! With so much personal finance advice out there, it’s hard to know what to listen to.
In this first episode of the series, Catriona and Jenny take on the role of mythbusters as they tackle common financial myths. It's time to separate fact from fiction and debunk the misconceptions that often hold us back from achieving financial success. From the belief that one-size fits all advice works for everyone, to the notion that credit cards are always bad, we'll challenge these myths and provide you with the tools and knowledge to make informed financial decisions.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources
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Annualcreditreport.com - To check your credit report
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Investopedia - Investing, retirement, savings, some more complex strategies
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NerdWallet - Comparisons for smart financial decisions
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BankRate - To Compare rates and crunch numbers
We're taking some time to highlight some of our best Gymsplain Episodes, like this one explaining why you need a sinking fund and how to set it up! Do those occasional big expenses always bust your budget? Not when we work them into the budget!
Today, they're shedding light on the power and potential of sinking funds. What are sinking funds, and why are they important in your financial journey? They explore the different strategies for setting up sinking funds and discuss the best places to save them. They'll share practical tips on allocating your funds wisely, whether you're saving for that dream vacation, a summer camp for the kids, or your car expenses.
They'll show you how sinking funds can be a game-changer in helping you achieve your long-term financial goals and be a flexible and effective tool to confidently navigate your various savings goals.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
We're taking some time to highlight some of our best Gymsplain Episodes, like this one detailing exactly what an emergency fund is and why everyone needs one!
Life throws curveballs when we least expect them, and having a safety net can make all the difference. But what exactly is an emergency fund, and why should you have one? We'll break it down in simple terms and show you how these funds can be your financial cornerstone in times of crisis.
From unexpected medical bills to car repairs that catch you off guard, having an emergency fund is crucial. Garrett and Sam will guide you through the process of determining the right amount to save based on your budget, where to keep your emergency fund, and discuss saving vs. paying down debt.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources
- BFF Approved High-Yield Savings Accounts
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When Should You Use Your Emergency Fund
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How to Save Your First $1000 in Emergency Savings
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How to Build an Emergency Fund and Why You Need One
Meet The Trainers
Meet Garrett Faulconor, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Sam Cash, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
We're taking some time to highlight some of our best Gymsplain Episodes, like this one discussing the pros and cons of buy now, pay later or pay in four options popular on most websites!
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, we'll be taking a closer look at Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payment options. In the convenience and instant gratification age, these payment options have become more popular. BNPL options allow consumers to purchase products and services instantly while spreading out the payments over time. On the surface, they seem like a great option, but as with any financial tool, the pros and cons must be considered.
To have this conversation, two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Hector Lopez and Kylie Lipinksi, are here to explore how these apps work, their benefits, and the potential downsides you'll want to consider before using BNPL apps. Analyzing all aspects of these tools is crucial to make informed decisions about our financial well-being.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
We're taking some time to highlight some of our best Gymsplain Episodes, like this one all about setting your financial boundaries with yourself and others. On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two Certified Financial Trainers, Kylie, and Randi, are here to talk about financial boundaries.
Setting boundaries is essential to help you stay on track with your financial plan. Today, we discuss the importance of setting financial boundaries and provide practical tips for communicating them with others. Whether you're trying to save money, pay off debt, or maintain a healthy financial balance, setting boundaries can help you achieve your goals!
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * The Secret to Setting Better Goals in 2023 * Goal Setting with Mike and Sara B * Financial Goal Setting with Mike and Terri
Meet The Trainers Meet Kylie Lipinski, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
We're taking some time to highlight some of our best Gymsplain Episodes, like this one that highlights how to think of your expenses.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Catriona Williams and Gina Funaro, two Certified Trainers at The Financial Gym. One of the jobs of a Financial Trainer is breaking down financial topics into plain language that people at all skill levels can understand. We call this ‘Gymsplaining!’ Today, Gina and Catriona are here to Gymsplain the difference between fixed and variable expenses. When building a budget, understanding your expenses is a big part of the process! Join Gina and Catriona as they break down the definitions, discuss common misconceptions, and provide tips for categorizing tricky expenses.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Meet The Trainers
Catriona Williams
Gina Funaro
We're taking some time to highlight some of our best Gymsplain Episodes, starting with explaining what comes with a Financial Gym Membership!
Two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Joy and Kylie are here to talk about financial plans. They discuss the importance of financial plans, who can benefit from having one, and how the Financial Gym approaches financial plans for our clients. If you’re curious about what a financial plan includes or wondering if it’s the right time to get one, this episode has you covered.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Kylie and Whitney explore Whitney’s personal journey through Chapter 7 bankruptcy. While Whitney has shared parts of her story before, today she opens up in detail about how she made the decision, the emotional and financial hurdles she faced, and what the actual filing process was like.
Whether you’ve considered bankruptcy or just want to understand it better, this conversation breaks down the stigma. It offers a compassionate, step-by-step view of what it really means to get a financial fresh start.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Catriona and Garrett, two Certified Financial Trainers, are here for the third installment of financial mythbusting. This series is about challenging some of the most common (and persistent) myths in personal finance they see as Trainers. From social media misinformation to outdated family advice, today, they break down why the answer to most financial questions is “it depends” and why understanding your unique situation is the most important part of making financial decisions.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources
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Episode 182: Financial Mtyhbusting with Catriona & Jenny
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Episode 219: Financial Mythbusting with Catriona & Kylie
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts Whitney and Kadri are here to discuss financial news updates. With so many changes happening quickly, staying informed can feel overwhelming. That’s why they are here to share the most important updates, talk about how to stay grounded and provide helpful tips for navigating the ever-changing landscape. When things are moving fast, they remind us to stay informed, calm, and prepared to keep ourselves on track.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Trainer Advisors Garrett & Tina are here to talk about the world of travel hacking. They break down what it is, how to get started, and key strategies to maximize points and miles for discounted travel. Whether you’re new to travel hacking or looking to refine your approach, this episode offers information, practical tips, and tricks to help you travel for less in style.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Whitney, our Marketing Coordinator sits down with Financial Trainer Kylie to explore the financial costs of womanhood. They cover how societal expectations, systemic inequalities, and identity all play a role in our spending and how you can start to make changes and fight back.
They discuss everything from pink taxes and grooming costs to healthcare disparities and social obligations, acknowledging the experiences of all women. Whether you're confronting your own financial pressures or just starting to think about how gender impacts money, this episode will leave you with new perspectives and tools to reclaim your financial power.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Tina and Ijal talk about Financial Independence. Together, they discuss the principles behind the FIRE movement and common misconceptions associated with FIRE. Financial independence looks different for everyone and this episode explores how everyone can work towards FI and how it can help you create a life filled with flexibility and purpose.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Rachel and Whitney discuss the impact of ADHD on personal finances. Whitney shares her journey from filing bankruptcy to financial empowerment, highlighting the challenges she faced and the strategies she used to regain control. They discuss the unique financial struggles that come with ADHD, why neurotypical advice often doesn’t work, and practical steps for managing money in a way that aligns with how ADHD brains function.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources
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4 Tips to Manage Your Money with ADHD
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How Our Upbringing Shapes our Money Mindset
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, we’re discussing market volatility with Garrett, Tina, and Vinnie, breaking it down in a way that’s simple and easy to understand. They explain what volatility means, why it happens, and how to prepare as an investor. Vinnie, who works in operations at FG Advisory, brings his expertise to the conversation, while Tina and Garrett share valuable insights to help you feel confident through market volatility. Whether you're an experienced investor or just getting started, this episode will help you feel more confident about market fluctuations!
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Whitney and Catriona discuss the importance of goal-setting when on a financial health journey. They talk about why knowing your "why" is essential, how to align your spending with your values, and why regular check-ins on your financial goals can set you up for success. Whether you love setting goals or struggle with them, this episode will help you shift your mindset and get grounded with intentional goals.
For more details check out our show notes here!
Resources
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Know Your Numbers with Sam & Tina
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How Do I Set Financial Boundaries with Kylie & Randi
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How to Set Better Financial Goals
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
A lot has changed with federal student loans over the past year, and in this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Tina and Kylie discuss the latest updates. They cover the status of the SAVE Plan, what borrowers should do if they’re close to forgiveness on other plans, and how to prepare for potential changes in the future. With so much uncertainty in the student loan space, staying informed and vigilant is the best way to be prepared.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Certified Financial Trainers Garrett and Gina are here to discuss how couples can approach money conversations, the benefits of combining finances, and practical strategies to create a financial plan that works for both partners. They talk about starting the conversation early, setting up money dates, and maintaining financial independence while working toward shared goals. Whether you're just beginning to merge finances or looking for ways to strengthen your financial partnership, this episode will make the process feel less intimidating and help you have open and honest conversations about money with your partner.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources
- 5 Essential Tips on Budgeting for Couple
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Combining Finances as a Queer Couple
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5 Tips for Couples with a Shared Credit Card
Meet The Trainer
Meet Garrett Faulconer, Certified Financial Trainer Meet Gina Funaro, Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Certified Financial Trainers Catriona and Sam Cash are here to talk about money dates. A money date is a regular check-in with yourself to review your finances and goals. They explore why these check-ins are important for building financial awareness, tracking progress, and aligning your spending with your goals. Whether you're new to the process or looking to refine your routine, Catriona and Sam share practical steps, tools, and tips to make money dates effective and enjoyable.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources
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Why You Need A Money Date with Yourself
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3 Reasons to Make Money Dates a Priority
Meet The Trainer
Catriona Williams, Certified Financial Trainer
Sam Cash, Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Tina and Sam, two Certified Financial Trainers, talk about getting familiar with your finances starting with knowing your numbers. They explain net worth, what numbers to track regularly, and how to create a sustainable budget. Whether you're a Financial Gym client or just starting to take control of your money, Sam and Tina give advice to help you approach your finances with confidence and clarity.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources
- Budgeting for Success
Meet The Trainers
Tina Hang, Certified Financial Trainer Sam Cash, Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Sara B. and Gina, two Certified Financial Trainers, talk about financial fitness. They cover what it means, how to assess your financial health, and actionable steps to improve it. By drawing parallels between physical and financial fitness, they explore the importance of reflection, goal-setting, and building a solid foundation to reduce stress and create more freedom in your life. Whether you are seeking financial security or want to feel more in control, this episode offers practical tips and encouragement to help you on your financial fitness journey.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources
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Top 3 Exercises to Get Financially Fit
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How Do You Get Financially Fit?
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How Do You Know If You Are Financially Fit?
Meet The Trainers
Sara Belhouari, Certified Financial Trainer
Gina Funaro, Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Whitney and Sara B discuss the important issue of overconsumption. Inspired by Sara's personal experiences and recent social media discussions, they explore the societal and personal factors that drive us to overconsume and offer actionable strategies to break free from the cycle. They talk about voting with your dollar, finding your personal motivation, and making mindful choices to focus on both financial security and environmental responsibility.
Resources
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Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy
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Consumed: The Need for Collective Change by Aja Barber
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Whitney, Marketing Coordinator at The Financial Gym, sits down with client Jonecia to talk about her financial journey. As a repeat client, Jonecia shares how The Financial Gym has helped her shift from living paycheck to paycheck to achieving financial confidence.
From paying down debt to creating sustainable budgets and negotiating for a higher salary, Jonecia reflects on the mindset changes and support she gained working with her Trainer, Kimberly. Whether you're curious about The Gym's process or looking for motivation to start your own financial journey, Jonecia's story has something for you.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
So you're ready to tackle your finances, that's great! But where do you start, there's so many things, so much to think about. Well this week Whitney and Garrett are going to walk you through where to begin.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
You can sign up for our free Investing 101 Webinar or Financial Gym's Four-Week Challenge to kickstart your financial journey.
On this week's episode of Financially Naked: Stories of the Financial Gym, hosts Rachel and Whitney share a heartfelt conversation about handling the financial and emotional pressures of the holiday season. Whitney opens up about her personal journey, reflecting on her past experiences and lessons learned, while both hosts offer tips and tricks for focusing on financial and mental health during a busy time of year.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Joy and Kylie are here to talk about financial plans. They discuss the importance of financial plans, who can benefit from having one, and how the Financial Gym approaches financial plans for our clients. If you’re curious about what a financial plan includes or wondering if it’s the right time to get one, this episode has you covered.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
This week on Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Kadri and Ijal are here to talk about why advice about personal finance isn’t universal. While the internet is a vast source of information, every situation is unique and the advice you hear on social media may not apply to everyone. They share information about how to filter through advice, how to recognize what fits your unique situation and the power of building a personalized financial plan that aligns with your goals and values.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
This episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym is hosted by Whitney, our new Marketing Coordinator, and Kylie, a Certified Financial Trainer. Today, they have a deeply personal conversation about how our upbringing shapes our relationship and mindset with money. Whitney opens up about her journey through bankruptcy and debt, reflecting on how her experiences growing up had an impact on her financial journey in adulthood. Together, they explore the emotional and behavioral patterns tied to money, the tension between our financial goals and actions, and the importance of breaking generational patterns.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources
- Your Financial Blueprint: 4 Exercises to Decode Your Money Mindset
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Rachel, our HR Manager, sits down with Joy, Certified Financial Trainer and military spouse, in honor of Veteran’s Day. Together, they discuss the unique financial aspects of military life, share insights into the challenges and benefits of service, and discuss how the military can offer stability and career opportunities.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Catriona and Jill, two Certified Financial Trainers, are here to talk about the ins and outs of applying for loans and mortgages. They cover the basics of personal and secured loans, navigating the loan application process, and details like debt-to-income ratios and credit scores. The hosts break down the importance of doing your due diligence, reading the fine print, and knowing your budget before taking on new debt. They also discuss the benefits of working with trusted people and practical tips to make the loan process less intimidating.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Kelly Medina is joined by Nicole Wood, co-founder of Ama La Vida Coaching. Nicole is here to share her journey from corporate life to building an accessible career coaching business and how confidence is the key in making a career shift. They discuss the power of being confident, building momentum through taking small steps toward career change, and how coaching can help navigate transitions. Nicole shares her coaching approach and provides some advice for people who may be looking to make a change in their careers.
For more details check out our show notes here, and check out Ama La Vida Coaching.
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Shannon sits down with returning guest Christie, an elementary reading specialist, to discuss her journey of self-publishing her first book. Christie shares her experience writing Meet Us, the first book in her Forward Motion Readers series, a decodable book series designed to make early literacy engaging and accessible for young readers.
Together, they discuss the self-publishing process, the costs, and the rewarding impact of seeing children benefit from her work. Christie also shares how financial guidance from The Financial Gym empowered her to take this leap, showing how financial health can open doors to your dreams and unexpected opportunities.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Rachel Adaline sits with Luis Canto E Castro, a fierce disability advocate, to discuss disability in the workplace. Luis shares his personal journey of navigating the world as a disabled person and the work he does to help organizations understand the needs of disabled employees and how to support them.
As a Lived Experience Ambassador for the NHS and EDI consultant, Luis shakes up organizations, helping them create truly inclusive environments that celebrate diversity. From addressing misconceptions about disabled employees’ capabilities to discussing the financial burdens they often face, Luis shares how employers and society can better support individuals with disabilities, empowering them to thrive.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Kelly and Tina, two Certified Financial Trainers, dive into current popular finance trends on TikTok, sharing their thoughts on whether these viral challenges are worth following. The internet is vast and full of financial information, and just because something is trending now does not mean it is a new concept! From cash stuffing and the 100 Envelope Challenge to loud budgeting and no-spend days, Kelly and Tina explore the value of these techniques as practical tools for building financial mindfulness and reshaping spending habits.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Kadri and Sam dive into creative and budget-friendly ways to approach holiday gift-giving. They share their personal perspectives on setting gift budgets, prioritizing thoughtfulness, and planning ahead to avoid last-minute stress and overspending. Whether it's leveraging credit card rewards, making DIY gifts, or gifting meaningful experiences, Kadri and Sam provide plenty of ideas to help you celebrate the season without breaking the bank.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Kylie and Gina, Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym, are here to talk about financial moves to make before the end of the year. With just a few months left in 2024, there’s still plenty of time to get organized, tackle money tasks, and set yourself up for success in the coming year. From planning for irregular expenses to reassessing debt, credit cards, and retirement contributions, they cover strategies to end the year financially strong.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym hosts Garrett and Sara B dive into budgeting for fall and the spooky season. They share their love for Halloween and fall festivities while offering tips to avoid overspending, as costs for decorations, costumes, and school supplies can quickly add up. From setting up holiday sinking funds to curbing impulse purchases, they share their favorite ways to enjoy the season while staying true to your budget.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, host Rachel Adaline sits down with Linzay Davis, founder of The Park Consulting, to explore the challenges and complexities of navigating parental leave in the U.S. Linzay shares her personal journey, which inspired her to create a company that helps new and expecting parents maximize their paid leave and understand their options. From explaining the four key ways to get paid during leave to offering tips on preparing for family expansion, Linzay is here to share helpful tips for anyone looking to balance work and family life.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Kadri and Tina, both Trainer Advisors at The Gym, dive into conversation about how luck and personal choices have shaped their financial journeys. They share their unique life paths, discuss the impact of early financial decisions, and reflect on finding balance between saving for the future and enjoying life in the moment.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Kylie and Jill, two Certified Financial Trainers, dive into the pros and cons of buying versus leasing a car. They break down key factors like maintenance costs, mileage limits, and the financial implications of each choice. Whether you're looking for the latest model or aiming to build long-term equity, Kylie and Jill offer insights to help you make the best decision for your situation. At the end of the episode, they play a fun game where they match various scenarios to the best car-buying approach and you can play along at home.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Garrett and Gina, two Certified Financial Trainers, dive into the world of financial scams. They explore common scams, how scammers prey on emotions, and provide practical tips on how you can protect yourself and your loved ones. They highlight the importance of staying informed and prepared to safeguard your finances in a constantly changing world.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
In this month’s DEIB installment of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Rachel, our HR Manager, and Certified Financial Trainer Garrett dive into the important but often overlooked topic of ageism. They explore how age-based discrimination impacts both younger and older adults in the workplace, share personal experiences, and discuss the broader implications of forced retirement and the value of mentorship. They chat about the importance of age diversity, inclusive policies, and the mutual learning that can happen when different generations come together.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Sam and Kelly dive into financial confidence—a challenge many clients face when starting their journey. They discuss the emotional hurdles of the first "financially naked" session, the importance of a healthy money mindset, and how everything, from budgeting to income management, is fixable with the right approach. Sam and Kelly discuss how building financial confidence is a process that evolves with ongoing education, realistic goal-setting, and the freedom to make choices that align with your values.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Certified Financial Trainer Sara B and Certified Trainer Advisor Kadri dive into an exciting new service offered by The Financial Gym's sister company, Financial Gym Advisory Services (FGA). They explore how FGA is expanding The Gym's mission by providing personalized investment advice and portfolio management tailored to each client's unique financial journey. For current Financial Gym clients, FGA offers a free portfolio review to help ensure your financial goals are on track.
Sara and Kadri discuss the benefits of working with FGA, from personalized, human-driven guidance to breaking the barrier of asset minimums. They break down what to expect from a portfolio review, why it might be the perfect next step in your financial journey, or where you can get started if you're not quite ready to invest yet!
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host, Kelly Medina, a Certified Financial Trainer, is joined by Hillary Black, a Career Coach with over 25 years of experience. Together, they explore Hillary's unique career journey, her transition to career coaching, and her philosophy on finding joy and fulfillment in one's career.
Hillary shares her insights on career transitions, the importance of continuous learning, and practical advice for those looking to achieve "Career Happy." Whether you're considering a career change or looking to find more happiness in your current role, this episode offers valuable guidance, tips, and tricks!
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym! In this month's DEIB installment, HR Manager Rachel Adaline invited Kristen, a long-time client and warm-up caller at The Financial Gym, to discuss the intersection of faith, spirituality, and finances. Kristen shares her journey from Evangelical Christianity to Islam, highlighting her personal experiences and financial practices within the faith. Rachel and Kristen explore how to support and be inclusive of diverse religious backgrounds in the workplace and daily life.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts, Kadri Augustin and Jill Wagner, Certified Financial Trainers, dive into how to move and live abroad. Kadri and Jill share their experiences living in various parts of the world, including France, Ecuador, Jamaica, Spain, and beyond. They discuss the unique challenges and financial lessons learned from their international moves, offering insights and practical tips for anyone considering a life overseas. Join us as we explore the joys and hurdles of embracing new cultures, managing finances across borders, and following your dreams to new destinations.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two Certified Financial Trainers, Sam and Catriona, are here to gymsplain balance transfer cards. They start by explaining what balance transfer cards are and how they can be used to manage and pay off high-interest debt. Throughout the episode, Catriona and Sam talk about the importance of being mindful with balance transfer cards, understanding your specific debt, and the role of developing better habits and financial planning when addressing debt and financial health.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, host Sara B is joined by the multi-talented Paige Williams, a career coach and salary negotiation expert who recently achieved Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) after an impressive eight-year corporate career.
Paige has an incredible story; she is a public speaker and has successfully managed multiple businesses, including a tequila company and an educational software company. Her passion for career coaching began during her time as a manager when she realized her employees needed more personalized attention and mentorship. This realization and encouragement from her friends led her to charge for her coaching services.
In this episode, Paige shares her insights on career coaching, effective salary negotiation strategies, and understanding one's total compensation package. Tune in to learn from Paige's wealth of experience and gain practical tips to enhance your own career journey.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
In this week's episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Garrett and Sam, Certified Financial Trainers, discuss financial independence or FI. They talk about the concept of financial independence and the different ways it can be accomplished. They cover various types of financial independence, from Lean FI to Fat FI and everything in between. Whether you're just learning about FI for the first time or looking to assess your path to financial freedom, Garrett and Sam offer insights and practical advice to help you on your journey. Learn about the power of making work optional, calculating your FI number, and finding your unique path to financial independence.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
In this DEIB installment of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym, and Erika, a Certified Financial Trainer, celebrate Pride Month. They dive into the specific financial challenges faced by the Queer community, including the cost of living in Queer-friendly areas and the financial aspects of family planning. Join Rachel and Erika for an insightful discussion packed with tips and strategies for managing Queer finances.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Catriona Williams and Gina Funaro, two Certified Trainers at The Financial Gym. One of the jobs of a Financial Trainer is breaking down financial topics into plain language that people at all skill levels can understand. We call this ‘Gymsplaining!’ Today, Gina and Catriona are here to Gymsplain the difference between fixed and variable expenses. When building a budget, understanding your expenses is a big part of the process! Join Gina and Catriona as they break down the definitions, discuss common misconceptions, and provide tips for categorizing tricky expenses.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Meet The Trainers
Catriona Williams
Gina Funaro
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym! Today, we have the pleasure of hosting Carlos, a talented writer and author, who joins us to discuss his new children's book, Emergency Quarters. Inspired by his childhood experiences growing up in Queens, New York, Carlos shares the heartwarming journey of Ernesto, a young boy who learns the value of a quarter in the era of payphones.
In this episode, we chat about the importance of financial literacy, especially for children, and how Carlos's upbringing in a tight-budget household shaped his understanding of money. We explore the origins of Emergency Quarters, from a celebrated essay in The New York Times to a beloved picture book.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Gym and Joy Liu, a Certified Financial Trainer. Today’s DEIB episode is focused and inspired by Mental Health Awareness Month and we will be talking about managing stressors related to work and finance.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Meet The Team Meet Joy Liu Meet Rachel Adaline
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, hosts Kylie and Tina, both Certified Financial Trainers, dive into the ever-evolving world of student loans. While we've covered this topic before, the landscape of student debt is constantly shifting, making it crucial to stay updated. From the rollout of the SAVE plan to new forgiveness proposals and essential tips for managing your loans, Kylie and Tina provide the latest insights and practical advice you need to navigate your student loans.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * https://studentaid.gov/loan-simulator/ * https://financialgym.bysavi.com/
Meet The Trainers Meet Kylie Lipinski, Certified Financial Trainer Meet Tina Hang, Certified Financial Trainer
This week on Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, join your hosts, Certified Financial Trainers Garrett and Jill, as they tackle a topic most of us face at some point: moving! After their conversation on home buying, they're back to talk about the financial and emotional costs of relocating. With Garrett's recent move and Jill's wealth of moving experiences, they're here to chat about everything from the dollars and cents to the rollercoaster of emotions that come with a move. From planning hacks to budget-friendly strategies, this episode has got you covered!
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym with our host, Kelly, Certified Financial Trainer, and guest, Amanda Clayman, a licensed therapist and host of the Emotional Inve$tment Podcast. Today, they explore the intersection of money and mental health. Amanda shares her story of overcoming shame and financial challenges, offering insights into the transformative power of honesty and vulnerability.
Kelly and Amanda discuss the roots of impulsive spending, the importance of purposeful decision-making, and the links between financial goals and emotional well-being. Drawing from Amanda's expertise and real-life experiences, this episode invites listeners to reflect on their relationship with money and how they can be more mindful while on their financial journey.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Please note: this episode contains discussions about eating disorders and disordered eating.
Welcome back to Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym! In this episode, we delve into the intricate world of eating disorders and their connection to spending habits. Led by Joy, our Certified Trainer Advisor, and joined by her client Laura, a licensed therapist specializing in eating disorders, we explore how emotional eating intersects with our financial decisions. Throughout the conversation, we navigate the complexities of disordered eating and spending, shedding light on misconceptions and offering valuable insights.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Meet The Trainer
Joy Liu
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym! In this month's DEIB installment, hosts Rachel Adaline, HR Manager, and Joy Liu, Certified Trainer Advisor, delve into the important topic of implementing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). From exploring the diverse financial perspectives shaped by individual backgrounds to discussing the pivotal role of empathy in financial training, Rachel and Joy navigate the complexities of DEIB within The Financial Gym and beyond. They shed light on the difference between performative DEIB efforts and genuine commitment, discussing the importance of meaningful action over surface-level pledges.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym. In honor of Financial Literacy Month, we're diving into financial resources for self-education with Kadri and Sara B! As they say, knowledge is power, but when it comes to financial literacy, the abundance of information out there can often feel overwhelming. That's why it's important to think about your learning style—whether it's visual, auditory, or hands-on—and tailor your educational journey accordingly. In today's episode, we'll explore avenues for learning, from podcasts and books to YouTube videos and social media accounts, ensuring that no matter your learning preference, there's a BFF-approved resource out there for you.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
This episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym is hosted by Garrett and Jill, two Certified Financial Trainers. Today's conversation is all about the home-buying process. Jill has an insider's perspective as a mortgage broker, and Garrett recently bought a home! They discuss Garrett's experience and the lessons he learned that can be applied to anyone starting this process. Purchasing a home is an amazing accomplishment, but the process can be tedious. If owning a home is one of your goals, this episode will help you prepare.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym, host Sam Cash, a Certified Financial Trainer, delves into the fascinating world of van life with her sister, Caet Cash, who has spent the past seven years living on the road. Maybe different than the stereotypical images often associated with van life, Caet shares her journey, beginning with the decision to embrace this unconventional lifestyle after years spent as a wilderness guide.
Despite the fantastic job working outdoors, the reality of low pay prompted Caet to seek a solution that would blend her love for adventure with financial stability. This led to her journey of van dwelling. Sam and Caet explore the intricacies of van ownership, from the initial decision-making process to the practicalities of day-to-day living, offering insights and tips into the financial and logistical considerations of life on the road.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym! In this installment celebrating Women's History Month, our hosts, Rachel Adaline, HR Manager, and Kelly, a Certified Financial Trainer, embark on a conversation honoring the achievements of women in finance. Join us as we delve into the inspiring stories and impactful contributions of women in shaping the financial landscape.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym. In this episode, Catriona and Kylie delve into common misconceptions surrounding taxes, self-employment, credit card points, and more, offering valuable insights to empower listeners in their financial decisions.
Continuous learning and openness to new approaches are essential for achieving financial success, and our hosts are here to guide you every step of the way. Join us as we challenge conventional wisdom and share your wildest financial advice encounters—let's bust some financial myths together.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym. Today, our hosts, Kadri, Joy, and Vinnie, are here to explain FG Advisory Services and discuss how it aims to revolutionize financial advising.
Over the past decade, Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym encountered a common frustration: the lack of accessible and personalized financial advising services. Many clients struggled to find suitable financial advisors or robo-advisors, leading to a gap in their financial planning journey. In the past, we could only take them so far, but that's all changed! Determined to address this issue head-on, FG Advisory Services is here to provide investment guidance and support to clients of all backgrounds and financial goals.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you want to work with a member of our Advisory Team, email advisory@fingyms.com. If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome back to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym. Our hosts are two Certified Trainers, Sam and Jill. Today, we're diving into real estate and mortgages and debunking some of the most common myths that often leave prospective homebuyers scratching their heads.
From navigating down payments to the debate of waiting for lower interest rates and even the importance of inspections, we're here to separate fact from fiction. In a world saturated with online information, it's easy to get lost in the noise. We're here to cut through the clutter and provide the facts you need to make informed decisions about buying a house.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym. She is joined by Jenny Maenpaa, LCSW, EdM, founder of Forward in Heels coaching practice, which empowers all women to stand tall and step into their power so they can light up the world.
Rachel and Jenny delve into the journey of self-discovery and financial empowerment, sharing insights from their experiences and their work. Jenny brings her expertise as a licensed psychotherapist and author, focusing on empowering women to overcome burnout and embrace their full potential. Jenny's evidence-based approach to work-life wellness empowers individuals to achieve holistic fulfillment and professional success.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, where we break down the complexities of personal finance to empower you on your journey to financial wellness. Today's host is Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym, and she is joined by Alicia Lazarto, COO at The Gym.
At The Financial Gym, we understand employees expect more than just a paycheck in their overall compensation package. That's why one of our many services is providing financial literacy resources to employees through their employers.
In this episode, Alicia and Rachel will explore how The Financial Gym can support your employees. From comprehensive financial planning to educational courses and webinars, we'll dive into how these benefits can positively impact employee well-being and productivity.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * https://financialgym.com/corporatepartnerships * Email enterprise@fingyms.com
Meet The Hosts Meet Alicia Lazarto, COO at The Financial Gym
Meet Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym! Jesse, a Certified Financial Trainer, is joined by Rebekkah, our Client Experience Manager. This February, we're diving into the intricacies of managing your money as a couple. As married individuals, they have first-hand experience managing money within a relationship.
Rebekkah, who lives in Washington, initially kept her finances separate from her husband's, but their approach has since evolved towards more joint management. On the other hand, Jesse and his wife, based in New York with two daughters, have found that maintaining separate financial accounts works best for their family. Join Rebekkah and Jesse as they explore how the dynamics of a couple's finances can shift over time and with personal growth and how working with a Financial Trainer can help throughout the process.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * How to Talk to Your Partner About Money
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Catriona Williams, Certified Financial Trainer, and she is joined by FinGym client Tina. With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’ve got love on our minds. Tina has been in a relationship for just under a year. She is here to share how she and her partner have navigated money within their relationship at the early stages and how it’s set a solid foundation for the future they plan to have together.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Connect with Tina Instagram:@teenziano
Meet The Trainer Meet Catriona Williams, Certified Financial Trainer
In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Rachel Adaline and Genar Mendez. Today's conversation is centered around focusing on your wellness and mindset for 2024. Since the holidays can often lead to financial stress, we'll discuss how you can prioritize your financial and general well-being this year.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Calm App * Headspace App * Boho Beautiful on Youtube * Body Shaking
Meet The Trainers Meet Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Gina, a Certified Financial Trainer, and Alicia, COO of The Financial Gym. Today, they explore the essential aspects of coupling and uncoupling finances. As they discuss why it's necessary on both ends, they stress the importance of having an organized financial plan. Every couple is unique, and strategies for managing finances may require some trial and error. This episode delves into practical tips on staying organized, initiating the coupling process, and navigating the uncoupling journey to ensure financial security at any stage of your relationship.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * How Working with a Financial Trainer will Improve Your Relationship
Meet The Trainers Gina Funaro, Certified Financial Trainer Alicia Lazarto, Chief Operations Officer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Kadri and Juan, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. January is traditionally a time when people set new goals and intentions for the year, and being better with money is one that's usually at the top of the list. That's why today's episode is all about financial fitness! What is financial fitness? How do you figure out if you are financially fit? Kadri and Juan discuss how you can discover where you are on the financial fitness scale, make a plan, and measure progress along the way.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * BFF HYSA Accounts * BFF Building Credit * Building Credit with Juan and Garrett
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym. Our hosts, Tina and Sam, started as clients at The Financial Gym before becoming Trainers. In today’s episode they delve into the transformative power of accountability partners and discuss why having an accountability partner, like we do at The Financial Gym, is a game-changer in achieving financial success.
As we kick off the new year, setting goals is on everyone's mind. At The Financial Gym, we know the significance of having someone by your side to keep you on track. In this episode, Tina and Sam share their experiences as clients turned trainers, exploring the unique perspective an accountability buddy brings to your financial journey. So, whether you're a resolution enthusiast or simply looking for a monthly reset, discover how a Certified Financial Trainer can be the perfect accountability partner for your financial goals.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome to the first episode of 2024 for Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym of 2024! Today's hosts are Joy and Genar, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. They're here to kick off the new year with a topic that's not only timeless but takes center stage as we usher in a new year—goal setting.
At The Financial Gym, helping clients set and achieve their financial goals is at the core of what we do. Whether you're a first-timer setting financial goals or eager to try something new, today's episode is for you. Genar and Joy share quick and actionable tips to empower you in establishing and pursuing your goals.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym! Today, Shannon, the Founder and CEO, joins Rachel for the last DEIB episode of 2023. As we reflect on our DEIB series for the year, Rachel and Shannon open up about the rewards and challenges of building a diverse team and why it is especially important for them as leaders at The Financial Gym.
Join us as we discuss the intricacies of fostering an inclusive environment and how to support employees once they're on your team. They talk about the unique perspectives diversity brings and the complexities of creating an inclusive space. Get ready for an honest and insightful conversation that explores the essential role of DEIB in learning how to shape an inclusive and safe workspace for everyone.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Pride Month with The Debt Free Guys * Career Opportunities
Meet The Leadership Team Meet Rachel Adaline, HR Manager & DEIB Team Lead
Meet Shannon, Founder & CEO of The Financial Gym
Welcome to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym. As we approach the end of 2024, hosts Kylie and Sam invite you to join them on a reflective personal finance exercise. Discover the potential of aligning your financial goals with your values and gain insights on staying accountable as you embark on a financial wellness journey.
In this episode, Kylie and Sam discuss the power of looking back on your financial progress and sharing insights on how this practice can serve as a catalyst for setting meaningful goals for the upcoming year. They'll provide tips and tricks for financial self-discovery, offering strategies to help you achieve your biggest goals.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Welcome to Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym! In this episode, Certified Financial Trainers Joy and Sara W discuss the process of rolling over employer-sponsored retirement accounts to other investment accounts. From discussing the why's and how's of rollovers to highlighting the advantages of individual retirement accounts (IRAs), they guide listeners through the process of gaining more control and flexibility over their investments.
Joy and Sara W also delve into the nuances of the rollover process, offering insights into services like Capitalize and empower everyone to take charge on their own. Whether you're considering a DIY approach, exploring Robo advisors, or seeking guidance from a financial advisor, Joy and Sara W provide valuable perspectives to make informed decisions.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Get ready for an exciting episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym. Today, Kadri sits with the one and only Shannon McLay, the founder and CEO of The Financial Gym. We’re talking about the exciting news: FG Advisory Services LLC is set to launch in 2024! This is the next giant leap for The Gym, and we’ve got all the details straight from the source.
In this chat, Shannon discusses why The Financial Gym is taking the leap into investment services. It’s a groundbreaking move that will allow The Gym to invest clients’ money for the first time, unlocking new possibilities for their financial health. Wondering what to expect? Shannon breaks down everything – from the reasons behind this decision to what clients can anticipate and, most importantly, how you can be a part of it.
Spoiler alert: It’s super easy to switch advisors, and Shannon’s got the insider scoop on why you should consider joining the FG Advisory Services LLC revolution.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * If you want to learn more about FG Advisory Services LLC, email advisory@fingyms.com.
Meet The Trainers Meet Shannon McLay, Founder & CEO Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Welcome back to another episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym. For this month’s DEIB episode, we’re spotlighting Veterans and their rights, and who better to guide us through this conversation than the incredible Jenn Dane?
Jenn Dane is a powerhouse, passionate about making veterans’ rights accessible to all who deserve them. As an Air Force Veteran, she’s not just about advocating; she’s about ensuring everyone knows the resources available and encourages them to seize every opportunity. Jenn Dane is a true DEIB advocate and our guide today through the world of veterans’ rights.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * www.NRD.gov - a database of validated resources that supports recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration for service members, veterans, family members, and caregivers. * VA Program for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness * Wounded Warrior Project * Veterans Benefits Center | The American Legion * https://vva.org/
Connect with Jenn Dane Website: Only Human - Jenn’s Apparel Company with a Cause
Martinis and Your Money Episode: Happy Hour with Jenn Dane
Meet The Team Meet Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym
Welcome back to Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym. In today’s episode, we’re diving into marketing for small business owners during the holiday season with Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Trainer at The Financial Gym, and Samantha Mellone.
Our guest, Samantha, is a New York-based strategic marketer on a mission to empower minority-owned businesses through the power of impactful content. With over a decade of experience, Samantha’s expertise in developing marketing strategies spans local, national, and international landscapes. This episode is a ride of insights for small business owners gearing up for the most wonderful, busy, and profitable time of the year.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Zapier * Mailchimp * Canva * Google Analytics
Connect with Samantha Mellone Website: Community and Content Marketing
Instagram: @communityandcontent
Meet The Trainer Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Rebekkah Holleman, Client Experience Manager at The Financial Gym and she is joined by Cymone, the Warm-Up Caller Team Lead. These two remarkable individuals who share a unique bond – both Rebecca and Cymone began their journey as clients at The Financial Gym before transitioning into integral roles on our team. Rebecca and Cymone's parallel experiences highlight the incredible power of financial wellness and how The Financial Gym has transformed their lives, making it possible for them to pay it forward and support others in their journey toward financial success. In this episode they will explain what a Warm Up Call is and why you should schedule one if you’re thinking about joining The Financial Gym.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Garrett and Sam, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. With holiday festivities just around the corner, they're here to discuss how to celebrate without going over your budget. They share their insights on the power of planning ahead, clever budgeting tips for hosting and traveling, and most importantly, the art of giving thanks without the hefty price tag. Sam and Garrett remind us the essence of the season is truly family, friends, community, gratitude, and meaningful connections. If you find yourself going over budget, that’s okay because we can always get our finances back on track, but time is a truly limited resource and blessing.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Travel on a Budget with Jenny & Kadri
Meet The Trainers * Meet Garrett Faulconer, Certified Level 3 Financial Trainer * Meet Sam Cash, Certified Level 2 Financial Trainer
This Financially Naked: Stories From The Financial Gym episode is hosted by two of our Level 3 Certified Financial Trainers, Jenny and Kadri. They’re here to talk about traveling on a budget, offering tips and insights beyond credit card points and hacking.
Traveling on a budget doesn’t mean sacrificing the richness of your experiences; it’s about embracing the idea that there’s no wrong way to explore the world. Travel is a highly personal journey that should be tailored to your unique preferences and values. Whether you’re an adventure seeker or simply searching for affordable ways to explore, today’s discussion will empower you to consider different travel styles, prioritize what truly matters to you, and make every journey memorable.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Charles Schwab * Point.me * Point yeah * Revolut * Wise * Remitly * SkyScanner
Meet The Trainers Meet Jenny Harp, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, we discuss the intersection of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym, is joined by Jessica Whorton, a breast cancer survivor.
Today, as a Director of Business Development, Jessica champions workplace inclusivity, particularly regarding disabilities and cancer survivors. She draws from her experiences to advocate for a more equitable and compassionate professional world. Jessica recognizes humor’s incredible healing power. She shows us that even in the most challenging moments, laughter can be a powerful tool, reducing stress and creating connections that bridge the gap between patients, families, and caregivers.
Her positivity, humor, and unwavering determination make her a beacon of light. Join us as we explore her remarkable journey, the history and importance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and how we can create a more welcoming workplace for all.
For more details check out our show notes here with loads of links and resources (thank you Jessica)$
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Gina and Juan, two Certified Financial Trainers, are here to talk about how to budget for the winter holidays! It's October, and it's never too early to prepare for the festive season.
From making a list, checking it twice, and budgeting for everything else that comes along with the holidays, you can plan ahead. Trainers at The Gym coach clients through this every year! Gina and Juan are here to share all the tips and tricks they know to make the process as stress-free as possible so you can enjoy the most wonderful time of the year without going into debt.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * 5 Ways to Plan Your Holiday Budget Now * How to Plan Financially for the Holiday Season Now
Meet The Trainers Juan Valeriano, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Gina Funaro, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Garrett and Juan, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. This is the second episode in our mini-series about credit. In a previous episode, we discussed the basics and history of credit reports and scores. Today, we're diving into the logistical steps of building your credit from the ground up, even if you're just getting started. If you have yet to hear that first episode, start there and then come back.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Kadri & Mike Gymsplain Credit Scores * BFF Approved Credit Building Tools * Annualcreditreport.com
Meet The Trainers Meet Garrett Faulconer, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Juan Valeriano, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Juan and Sam, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. This episode is all about investment properties. It’s a goal that many clients have at The Financial Gym, so today we’re delving into the basics of just getting started and hearing firsthand from Sam as she shares her personal experience with investment properties.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Bigger Pockets Rental Property Calculator * 4 Steps to Financial Freedom Through Rental Property Investing
Meet The Trainers Sam Cash Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer Juan Valeriano, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym, we continue our DEIB series. Our host, Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Gym, is joined by Juan, one of our Certified Financial Trainers, to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month can be a fantastic way to learn about and highlight Hispanic and Latino communities' diverse cultures, traditions, and contributions.
Juan, whose family is from Honduras, tells us about his life as a first-generation American. He reflects on the significance of Hispanic Heritage Month in his upbringing through college, its connection to personal finance, and how it led to him being a Financial Trainer today.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * National Hispanic Heritage Month Facts * Scholarships for Hispanic Students
Meet The Trainer Meet Juan Valeriano, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer Meet Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Catriona and Tina, two Level 3 Trainers at The Financial Gym. They are here to talk about an important step of every financial journey: tracking your spending. They dive into the why behind this practice and how it can help you become intentional about your finances.
Catriona and Tina share valuable tips on creating a sustainable reflection habit. You'll learn about different methods to track your spending, from pen and paper to modern apps and tools. If looking at your spending makes you anxious, don't worry; this conversation is not about judgment but instead about gaining awareness to make mindful decisions.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * BFF Approved Budgeting Tools * Empower (formerly Personal Capital) * Rocket Money * HoneyDue
Meet The Trainers Meet Catriona Williams, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Tina Hang, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, we dive into a truly transformative discussion with hosts Joy, Genar, and Kadri – three Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. The trio will explore the connection between mindfulness, meditation, and financial health.
Have you considered how mindfulness and meditation can improve your financial health? In this conversation, we explore the benefits of incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your financial journey and help you understand how meditation cultivates a sense of clarity and focus that benefits your financial decision-making.
We'll also touch on the benefits of a gratitude practice and ideas to incorporate gratitude into your financial habits. Whether you're already financially fit or just starting the journey, get ready to learn how to apply these age-old principles to your money practice.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Part 1: How Can Meditation Help My Finances? * How to Go From a Scarcity to Abundance Mindset * Meditation: The Mayo Clinic * Happy Money with Ken Honda
Meet The Trainers Meet Joy Liu, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, we're discussing a topic that's been flying under the radar since 2020: student loans. Joining Genar is Lindsay Clark, Chief Borrower Advocate at Savi, a platform designed to help borrowers navigate the student loan system. With the clock ticking to the end of the grace period in October, it's time to deep dive into the playbook of options available to borrowers.
Out of sight, out of mind? Not anymore. Unfortunately, the era of loan payments on pause is fading, but it's not all bad news! The government made huge improvements to the system, so borrowers are in a better position moving forward. Genar and Lindsay discuss the changes over the last few years, how to prepare for payments to start back up again, and tools you can use to handle your student loans.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Studentaid.gov * Learn about the SAVE Plan
Connect with Savi Website: https://financialgym.bysavi.com/
Meet The Trainer Meet Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Welcome back to Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym. This week's episode is another in our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging series. Our host is Rachel Adaline, joined by The Gym's very own Alicia Lazarto. Today's topic shapes countless lives —family planning.
Alicia has navigated the path of raising two college-aged sons while skillfully steering the financial ship in her household. Together, they'll explore insights and tips for finding balance amidst the whirlwind of parenting, focusing on community, financial health, and self-care.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Financially Naked: Estate Planning * Financially Naked: Teaching Financial Literacy to Kids * Financially Naked: Communicating with Your Partner about Money
Meet The Team Meet Rachel Adaline, Human Resources Manager
Meet Alicia Lazarto, Chief Operations Officer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Kylie and Sam, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. One of the most common goals among clients at The Gym is home ownership, so today we're diving into the basics of the home buying process.
As Financial Trainers and prospective homeowners, Sam and Kylie will guide you through finding the right realtor, getting preapproval, and navigating the journey to closing. Whether you're a first-time buyer or looking to move, these practical tips and insights will help you make your home buying dreams a reality!
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * NerdWallet Mortgage Calculator * Everything you need to know: The Home Buying Experience * An Intro to First-Time Homebuyer Programs * 4 Unexpected Costs of Home Ownership
Meet The Trainers Meet Sam Cash, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Kylie Lipinski, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
This episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym is hosted by Catriona and Sara W, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. Today, they're shedding light on the power and potential of sinking funds. What are sinking funds, and why are they important in your financial journey?
They explore the different strategies for setting up sinking funds and discuss the best places to save them. They'll share practical tips on allocating your funds wisely, whether you're saving for that dream vacation, a summer camp for the kids, or your car expenses.
They'll show you how sinking funds can be a game-changer in helping you achieve your long-term financial goals and be a flexible and effective tool to confidently navigate your various savings goals.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Financially Naked 183: Garrett & Sam Gymsplain Emergency Savings * Why You Need a Sinking Fund & How to Set it Up * Upstart.com - Learn About Sinking Funds * Time - Sinking Fund: What Is It, Types & How to Set One Up
Meet The Trainers Meet Catriona Williams, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Sara Willi, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
This is a very special episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym! Our hosts are Shannon McLay, the CEO and Founder of the Financial Gym, and our incredible COO, Alicia Lazarto. Today, they celebrate a decade of financial fitness and commemorate Alicia's remarkable six-year journey with The Gym. They take a trip down memory lane and share the inspiring tale of how the Financial Gym came to be.
From its humble beginnings to the challenges we faced along the way, we'll dive into the highs and lows and the people that shaped The Financial Gym. This episode is about reflection, growth, and gratitude as we celebrate a decade of transforming lives, one financial step at a time. And that's not all – mark your calendars for September 1, when Shannon will share some exciting big news you won't want to miss on her podcast Martinis and Your Money.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Meet The Team Meet Alicia Lazarto - Chief Financial Officer
Meet Shannon McLay - Founder & CEO
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Jenny and Tina, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. They're tackling a topic that can seem intimidating but holds incredible potential: investing.
Investing isn't just for the wealthy or the financial gurus. It's a strategy that can help anyone grow their money and achieve their financial goals. Whether you're looking to save for retirement, buy a home, or fund your dreams, investing is a key step on your journey.
In this episode, they'll break down the basics of investing, demystifying terms like stocks, bonds, and asset allocation. They'll discuss the importance of setting clear goals to make informed investment decisions and how to get started even if you're brand new!
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Investing 101 (Part 1) * Investing 101 (Part 2) * Investing 101: What are Investment Markets? * BFF Approved Retirement Accounts * BFF Approved Investing Accounts
Meet The Trainers Meet Tina Hang, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym. Our special guest today is Lillie Nkenchor, an experienced estate planning professional with over 14 years of expertise in the field.
In this episode, we're shedding light on the sensitive but important topic of estate planning. Many of us may have heard the term before, but what exactly is it? Do you need to be rich to have an estate plan? When should you consider hiring a professional to assist you with this process? And what are the common challenges that arise when it comes to estate planning?
Lillie is here to share her vast knowledge and insights, as she has dedicated her career to helping others navigate the complexities of estate planning. We'll discuss the basics surrounding this essential aspect of personal finance, providing you with advice and actionable steps to protect your assets and ensure a smooth process for your loved ones.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Lillie’s Newsletters * Basic Estate Planning Documents
Connect with Lillie Website: www.lillienkenchor.com
Instagram: @lillie_nkenchor_pc
Linkedin: Lillie N. Nkenchor, Esq., LL.M.
Meet The Team Meet Rachel Adaline, Human Resources Manager
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer. Today, we have a special episode focused on an essential aspect of financial education: teaching kids about money. Joining us is a phenomenal guest who has dedicated herself to this cause, Chelsea Sarae Addison. She is an author and advocate for financial literacy, and she's here to talk about her new book, Savannah's Savings Jar.
Savannah's Savings Jar is more than a children's book. It's a powerful tool that harnesses the magic of storytelling to impart invaluable lessons about money to kids and adults. Sarae's book invites us all into the captivating world of Savannah and her friends, who are here to share their lessons.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Can a Children’s Book Change The World?: Ted Talk by Linda Sue Park * Greenlight: Debit Card for Kids & Teens * Teachers Pay Teachers Financial Literacy Worksheets
Connect with Sarae Buy the book & get notified for pre-orders: Savannah’s Savings Jar
Instagram: @Chelseasarae
LinkedIn: Chelsea Sarae Addison
Meet The Trainer Meet Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Life throws curveballs when we least expect them, and having a safety net can make all the difference. But what exactly is an emergency fund, and why should you have one? We'll break it down in simple terms and show you how these funds can be your financial cornerstone in times of crisis. This episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym is hosted by two Certified Financial Trainers, Garrett and Sam, and they are here to Gymsplain Emergency Funds.
From unexpected medical bills to car repairs that catch you off guard, having an emergency fund is crucial. Garrett and Sam will guide you through the process of determining the right amount to save based on your budget, where to keep your emergency fund, and discuss saving vs. paying down debt.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * BFF Approved High-Yield Savings Accounts * When Should You Use Your Emergency Fund * How to Save Your First $1000 in Emergency Savings * How to Build an Emergency Fund and Why You Need One
Meet The Trainers Meet Garrett Faulconor, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Sam Cash, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Jenny and Catriona, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. In this episode, they’re taking on the role of mythbusters as they tackle common financial myths. With so much personal finance advice out there, it’s hard to know what to listen to.
It's time to separate fact from fiction and debunk the misconceptions that often hold us back from achieving financial success. From the belief that one-size fits all advice works for everyone, to the notion that credit cards are always bad, we'll challenge these myths and provide you with the tools and knowledge to make informed financial decisions.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Annualcreditreport.com - To check your credit report * Investopedia - Investing, retirement, savings, some more complex strategies * NerdWallet - Comparisons for smart financial decisions * BankRate - To Compare rates and crunch numbers
Meet The Trainer Meet Catriona Williams, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym, and she is joined by David Auten and John Schneider, hosts of The Queer Money Podcast. They are personal finance authors, bloggers, and speakers for DebtFreeGuys.com with over thirty-five years of combined experience in finance.
The Financial Gym has a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) Program. To share that internal program with the community, this show's last episode of each month is dedicated to a financial topic with a DEIB twist.
Today, we're diving into a topic close to our hearts: Queer finance and serving the LGBTQIA community. We understand the unique financial challenges and opportunities faced by queer individuals. In this episode, we'll discuss the origins of The Queer Money Podcast, affordable places to live for the LGBTQIA community, and the importance of inclusive financial resources.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * 7 Ways LGBT Personal Finances is Different * Pride Month Resources * Find a Pride * The Economic Case for LGBT Equality
Connect with David and John Podcast: Queer Money Podcast
Instagram: @queermoneypodcast
YouTube: Debt Free Guys
Meet The Team Meet Rachel Adaline, Human Resource Manager
Graduating college is an exciting albeit scary time as you officially step into adulthood. There is so much we don’t know when we graduate, not just about finances, but about ourselves and what we actually want in our life. This is especially true for folks who graduate in their early 20s.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Kadri and Juan, two Certified Financial Trainers and they are here to talk about advice for new graduates. They have both walked the path of college graduation, each with their own set of challenges and triumphs, and worked with many clients in similar situations.
Today, they’re here to share personal stories and valuable advice to help new grads navigate post-graduation life, get financially healthy, and set up for long-term financial success.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Financially Naked YouTube Series * Should I Live at Home or Move Out After Graduating * I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi * The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel * How To Get Rich on Netflix * Money Management Apps: Mint & Tiller
Meet The Trainers Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Juan Valeriano, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, we'll be taking a closer look at Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payment options. In the convenience and instant gratification age, these payment options have become more popular. BNPL options allow consumers to purchase products and services instantly while spreading out the payments over time. On the surface, they seem like a great option, but as with any financial tool, the pros and cons must be considered.
To have this conversation, two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Hector Lopez and Kylie Lipinksi, are here to explore how these apps work, their benefits, and the potential downsides you'll want to consider before using BNPL apps. Analyzing all aspects of these tools is crucial to make informed decisions about our financial well-being.
Resources * 8 Buy Now, Pay Later Companies for Your Business (2023) * BFF-Approved Credit Builders * BFF-Approved Credit Cards * Soft vs. hard credit checks: What’s the difference?
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym and she is joined by Joy Liu, Certified Level 2 Financial Trainer, and licensed therapist Na Li, one of Joy’s clients.
The Financial Gym has a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) Program. To share that internal program with the community, this show's last episode of each month is dedicated to a financial topic with a DEIB twist.
In today's episode, we'll explore a crucial aspect of personal finance that often goes overlooked: financial trauma. We'll shed light on what financial trauma is, how it specifically impacts marginalized communities, and discuss actionable strategies to confront and conquer our financial traumas head-on.
For more details check out our show notes here!
Resources * What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma - Book by Stephanie Foo * Ali Wong’s ‘Declutter’ Clip * Headway Therapy * Octave
Meet The Trainer Rachel Adaline, Human Resources Manager
Joy Liu, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, we explore the fascinating similarities between budgeting and meditation. While at first glance, these two concepts might seem unrelated, they are actually quite similar. Both require discipline, focus, and a commitment to self-improvement. Two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Kadri and Genar, talk about how meditation can be a powerful tool for improving financial health. By taking the time to clear your mind, you can gain greater clarity on your financial goals and priorities. This can help you manage stress and anxiety related to financial issues.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * The work of Joe Dispenza * Guided Meditations on Youtube * Simple Box Breathing Exercises * Whitney Catalano - Business & Life Coaching
Meet The Trainers Meet Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Garrett Faulconer, a Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer, and he is joined by Elizabeth Landau, Co-Founder and COO of GreenPortfolio. GreenPortfolio's mission is to be your guide to climate-friendly financial decision-making. Every dollar you save and invest can be one of your most powerful tools to help fight climate change.
Today, we're talking about impact investing. Impact investing is investing your money in a way that not only generates financial returns but also positively impacts society and the environment. It's become super popular lately, as more and more people want to put their money where their values are.
In this episode, we'll explore the basics of impact investing, the difference between 'impact investing' and 'ESG funds,' and how GreenPortfolio can help you make decisions that align with your values.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Meet The Trainer Meet Garrett Faulconor, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Connect with Elizabeth & GreenPortfolio Website: GreenPortfolio Instagram: @greenportfolio_ TikTok: @greenportfolio YouTube: GreenPortfolio LinkedIn: GreenPortfolio | Elizabeth Landau
Your money can be your most valuable tool to fight climate change — if you know where to put it. GreenPortfolio is your guide for climate-friendly banking and investing. Discover your money’s climate impact and make a change — whether you’re getting your first bank account or you’re a seasoned investor. It’s time to finance a future you believe in. Sign up today!
Please Note: This is for informational purposes only and not financial advice. Opinions expressed here are not those of any bank, credit card issuer, or financial institution. Please complete your own due diligence before making any financial decisions.
One huge aspect of being on a financial journey is setting boundaries with yourself and others. On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two Certified Financial Trainers, Kylie, and Randi, are here to talk about financial boundaries.
Setting boundaries is essential to help you stay on track with your financial plan. Today, we discuss the importance of setting financial boundaries and provide practical tips for communicating them with others. Whether you're trying to save money, pay off debt, or maintain a healthy financial balance, setting boundaries can help you achieve your goals!
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * The Secret to Setting Better Goals in 2023 * Goal Setting with Mike and Sara B * Financial Goal Setting with Mike and Terri
Meet The Trainers Meet Kylie Lipinski, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Randi DeGraw, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Jazmin Higgins, a Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, who, in celebration of Cinco De Mayo, is reading the intro in Spanish today!
Bienvenidos al episodio de Financially Naked en español! En la celebración de la batalla de puebla en México, te traemos una conversación muy importante acerca de nuestra propia batalla de maldiciones generacionales en comunidades Latinos en Los Estados Unidos.
Today’s guest is Gabriela Gonzalez, a Cuban-American producer based in Los Angeles. A Miami native and youngest of seven kids, she is here today to share her story and chat with Jazmin about breaking generational curses in Latin communities. We’ll be having a little fun and maybe speaking a little Spanglish. We encourage you to share this podcast with friends and family to start having conversations about how your upbringing has impacted how you relate to money.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Understanding the Racial Wealth Gap * 4 Ways to Change Your Money Mindset
Connect with Gabriela Gonzalez (she/her) OnlyVans (production rentals company): @onlyvans_llc
Forward Motion (production company): @Forwardmotionentertainment
Meet The Trainer Meet Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym. Joining her is Jenn Graham, founder, and CEO of Inclusivv. Like other companies, The Financial Gym has a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) Program. To share that internal program with the community, this show's last episode of each month is dedicated to a financial topic with a DEIB twist.
Today, we are focusing on unconscious bias. We all have biases, and unconscious bias is the most common. Jenn shares her knowledge and expertise so we can learn more about our unconscious biases and how they can be addressed.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
RESOURCES
- Inclusivv Website: https://www.inclusivv.co/
- Individual memberships: https://www.inclusivv.co/membership
- Harvard Implicit Bias: https://online.maryville.edu/blog/addressing-implicit-bias/
- TED talk “How to Reduce Bias in Your Workplace”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEP7_BeXH64
Money can be messy, especially when tied to emotions. Two Certified Financial Trainers, Gina and Sara B are here to talk about how to handle your finances when going through a break up.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Meet The Trainers
Gina Funaro
Sara Belhouari
The number one employer of clients at The Financial Gym is self-employed, meaning many of our clients have a variable income. In addition to self-employed folks, many other professions earn an inconsistent income. On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are two Certified Financial Trainers, Bevin, and Garrett, and they are here to talk about how to budget when you earn variable income!
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * 6 Tips for Budgeting as a Freelancer * I’m a Freelancer, How can I Simplify my Finances?
Meet The Trainer Meet Garrett Faulconer, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Joy Liu, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer. Joining her today is Belma, a leadership and career coach and founder of Work Bigger. We’ve seen tech companies announce significant layoffs, and with talks of a recession looming, other industries are likely to follow suit. If you’re feeling worried or insecure, this conversation is full of honest advice and tools to help ease your nerves and help you create a plan if you’re laid off or lose your job.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources * Financially Naked Episode: Finding Your Career Path and Superpower with Belma * Free class with Work Bigger: https://purpose.workbigger.co/find-your-superpower * 5 Ways to Recession Proof Your Finances: Financial Gym Blog
Connect with Belma & Work Bigger Website: Work Bigger Instagram: @workbiggerLinkedIn: Belma McCaffrey
Meet The Trainer Meet Joy Liu, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym, and joining her is Sara W, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer. Like other companies, The Financial Gym has a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) Program. As a way to share that internal program with the community, the last episode of each month on the show is dedicated to a financial topic with a DEIB twist.
Today, we are focusing on DEIB as a concept. Many of the best-performing companies out there have DEIB strategies, so today, we’re asking, ‘What is DEIB?’ and ‘Why is it important?’ We then discuss what we do at The Financial Gym to ensure everyone feels a sense of purpose and belonging with our company.
For more details check out our show notes here!
To sign up for our Financial Literacy Month newsletter or get more info, click here!
Resources * NACA - Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America * Modern Military Association of America * 6 Options for Affordable Mental Health Care * HealthCare.gov * How to Handle Salary Inequality in the Workplace * Public Service Loan Forgiveness * The Queer Money Podcast with David & John * DEIB: Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap with Bevin
Meet The Team Meet Rachel Adaline, Human Resources Manager
Meet Sara W, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym, and she is joined by Catriona, Certified Financial Trainer and podcast producer extraordinaire! April is a magical time at The Gym as we celebrate Financial Literacy Month! Today Rachel and Catriona talk about financial literacy, why it’s important, and all of the plans The Financial Gym has for you to get involved this month!
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym - Gymsplain Series, our host is Genar Mendez, a Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, and joining him today is Vonne Williams. Vonne is a Tax Strategist & Accountant, a Business Coach, and Angel Investor. She helps people build wealth for their families and communities by helping them open businesses and become profitable and sustainable. We all have to pay taxes, and it can be confusing, so Vonne is here to answer some of the most frequently asked tax questions we get at The Financial Gym.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Connect with Vonne Website: www.VonneWilliams.com
Instagram: @vonnewilliams_dontdiebroke
YouTube: @vonnewilliams-dontdiebroke865
Meet The Trainer Meet Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Kylie Lipinski, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Financial Gym client Christie Welsby. Today's topic is reducing your cell phone bill by switching carriers. Christie was hesitant to use a 'non-traditional' cell phone provider. After a negative experience with her carrier that she'd been with for a long time, she decided to take the leap and is here to talk about her experience using Mint Mobile.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Other Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Frugal Friends podcast
- 6 Ways to Lower Your Cell Phone Bill blog post
Meet The Trainer Meet Kylie Lipinski, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym, and she is joined by Bevin Morgan, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer. The Gym has a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Program. To share more of that internal program with the community, the last episode of each month on the show will be dedicated to a financial topic with a DEIB twist.
Today’s topic is The Racial Wealth Gap. Bevin has a background in economics and has carried that interest through her career. As a Black Woman in America and working with a lot of Black clients at The Gym, understanding the larger systematic layers contributing to the racial wealth gap on a deep level became Bevin’s passion.
This topic is complicated and can be contentious. Today’s episode is a conversation and overview of the racial wealth gap as a starting point to explore further.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- NACA - https://www.naca.com/
- Junior Achievers - https://jausa.ja.org/programs/index
- Read Octavia Butler - https://www.octaviabutler.com/
- What We Get Wrong About Closing The Racial Wealth Gap
- From Here to Equality, Second Edition | William A. Darity Jr. | University of North Carolina Press
- Yard Sale Model - Why the super rich are inevitable
- Solidarity Economy - U.S. Solidarity Economy Network
Meet The Trainer Meet Bevin Morgan, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
This episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym is hosted by Joy Liu and Garrett Faulconer, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym.
This month's theme on the show is managing finances in relationships, and today we’re talking about money dates. At The Gym, we encourage folks to have money dates with themselves and couples to have them together. It’s a great way to stay on track with your finances and life goals.
For more details check out our show notes here!
Meet The Trainers Meet Joy Liu, Level 2 Financial Trainer
Meet Garrett Faulconer, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Mike Poulin and Kylie Lipinski, two DC-Based Level Two Certified Financial Trainers, are here to Gymsplain couples' finances. In addition to working as Financial Trainers, they are both married but manage the finances in their relationships differently. Kylie and Mike discuss communication, logistics, and options for managing your money as a couple.
For more details check our show notes here!
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances as a couple, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com
Meet The Trainers Meet Mike Poulin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Kylie Lipinski, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Joy Liu, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer and Head of Marketing. She is joined by her client Chatoya. Joy and Chatoya weren't paired together initially, but through some happy coincidences, they became BFFs (Best Financial Friends). Chatoya is here to share about a big financial win and celebrate with Joy and the community.
For more details check out our show notes here!
Meet The Trainer Meet Joy Liu, Certified Financial Trainer & Head of Marketing
Schedule a Free Warm-Up Call Today
Learn about Trainer-on-Demand
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym, and she is joined by Kadri, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer. The Gym has a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Program. To share more of that internal program with the community, the last episode of each month on the show will be dedicated to a financial topic with a DEIB twist. Right behind housing, food is the most significant line item in most people’s budgets. Food and finances are intertwined, and today Rachel and Kadri get into the details.
Trigger warning: Discussions about eating disorders, weight and weight loss.
Helpline: nationaleatingdisorders.org Phone: 1-800-931-2237
For more details visit our show notes here!
Resources Mentioned:
- Nike Netflix Training Club
- The Menu Film
- MyFitnessPal App
- Factor 75
- HelloFresh Recipes on Pinterest
- CoPilot
- nationaleatingdisorders.org Phone: 1-800-931-2237
Meet The Trainer Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer. Juan Valeriano, a fellow Trainer, joins us today to discuss something that touches our daily lives, inflation. Many folks have felt the impact of inflation recently, so Genar and Juan talk about what it is, what causes it, and how you can protect your finances to combat it.
For more info click here for our show notes.
Meet The Trainers Meet Juan Valeriano, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two Certified Financial Trainers, Garrett, and Genar, are here to talk about how to get organized for the new year! From financial tasks to taking care of your mental health, each tip will help set you up for long-term success in 2023.
For more details, check out our show notes!
Meet The Trainers Meet Garrett Faulconor, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Jazmin Higgins, a California-based Certified Financial Trainer. Joining her today is Jaliyah, owner of Jaliyah Kreationz, which carries budget journals. Jaliyah comes from a family of entrepreneurs and helps people with their budgets on TikTok live, which is where Jazmin first met her. She’s here to talk about how she learned how to budget at a young age and how she uses her knowledge to help people with their money every day.
For more details, check out our show notes here!
Connect with Jaliyah Emails: Contact
Instagram: @jaliyah.kreationz
TikTok: @jaliyah.kreationz
Website: Jaliyah.Kreationz
Meet The Trainer Meet Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Rachel Adaline, our Human Resources Manager, continues chatting with the team to review how the year went, what they learned, what they worked on, what didn't work out and what they are hoping for 2023!
For more details, check out our show notes here!
To learn more about our team, click here.
Rachel Adaline, our Human Resources Manager, chats with the team to review how the year went, what they learned, what they worked on, what didn't work out and what they are hoping for 2023!
For more details, check out our show notes here!
To learn more about our team, click here.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, three Certified Financial Trainers, Mike, Kadri, & Garrett are here to gymplain interest rates. Interest rates directly affect our everyday lives, how we spend, how we save, and how we invest. Knowing how interest impacts your finances can be a powerful tool for planning ahead.
Podcast Notes * According to Investopedia, “The interest rate is the amount a lender charges a borrower and is a percentage of the principal—the amount loaned.” * “An interest rate can also apply to the amount earned at a bank or credit union from a savings account." * Interest rates are set by the Federal Reserve. It’s a lever they can pull to help guide the economy in the direction they want it to go. * In 2020, we saw interest rates lowered. Now we’re seeing the pendulum swing the other way. The goal right now is to slow down inflation. * Interest rates affect the economy and our everyday lives. * There are different types of interest rates, fixed and adjustable. Knowing what kind of debt you’re taking on is important. * An adjustable interest rate means it will fluctuate. With a mortgage, it will be on a schedule. * Unsecured debt, like credit cards often have adjustable interest rates. If you pay in full every month, this doesn’t affect you. If you carry a balance, these rates are important. * Interest is not just for debt, it applies to savings accounts as well. * High Yield Savings Account rates have been steadily increasing over the last few months. * Recent shifts in client behavior: + Some clients who have been procrastinating have finally been opening HYSA’s and taking advantage of the great interest rates. + Home renovations have slowed down, leading to less refinancing. + There has been a slowdown in folks wanting to purchase a home.
- If you’re not sure what your interest rate is, that information is on your credit card statement, on one of the last pages.
- Congress controls the purse strings and the decisions we make as a country directly affect our money and our day-to-day lives.
- At the end of the day, financial literacy is key. The most important thing you can do is look at your assets and what’s available to you. Understand what products and accounts you’re using and use them to accomplish your financial goals.
Meet The Trainers Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer Meet Mike Poulin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer Meet Garrett Faulconer, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Joy Liu and Sara Belhouari, two Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym. Today, they're talking about Human Design. Sara and Joy have been exploring Human Design and found that Human Design charts can be transformative and a valuable tool. They're here today as hobbyists to share what they've learned and their personal experience with Human Design.
For more details check our show notes!
Resources About Human Design: My Human Design
Jovian Archive
Human Design App
Martinis and Your Money Episode: Financial Transformation & Human Design
Meet The Trainers Meet Joy Liu, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Sara Belhouari, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Jazmin Higgins, a California-based, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer. Erin Parsley, lifelong professional dancer, business owner, and Gym client, joins her today. Through her businesses Erin Parsley Dance and Steps to Love, she helps people connect to themselves and others and invites beginners to the joy of dancing. This year, Erin leveraged her business to reach personal financial goals and is here to talk with Jazmin about how she made it all happen.
Check out our show notes for more details!
Connect with Erin Website: Erin Parsley Dance
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/eepdances
Facebook: Erin Parsley Dance | San Francisco CA
Instagram: @erinparsley
Steps to Love Wedding Dances
Meet The Trainer Meet Jazmin Higgings, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Sara Belhouari, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer and she is joined by one of her long-time friends, Jennifer Birzer. Jennifer is a personal stylist and has worked in the film and television industry, most recently on Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. She is passionate about sustainability in the fashion industry and educating others about the power of style. Jennifer joins Sara today to talk about all things fashion and style. From how to find your personal style, to stay on trend, and how to do it while staying within your budget.
For more details check out our show notes here!
Connect with Jennifer Instagram: @jenniferbirzer & @green.style.gal
Vintage Shop on Etsy: Nouvouge
Email: jenniferbirzer@gmail.com
Meet The Trainer Meet Sara B, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Other Resources Mentioned:
- The Real Real -> Mix of things
- FashionPhile -> For designer items
- Poshmark -> Mix of things
- Vinted -> Regular thrifted items
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, and Michelle Losenicky joins her. Michelle recently completed the CFT program and is working with clients. Today, they are going to talk about money mindset and manifestation, particularly with salary negotiation.
For more details check out our show notes here!
Meet The Trainers Meet Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Michelle Losenicky, Certified Financial Trainer Licensee
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Jessie Gan and Kadri Augustin. Jesse and Kadri are Level 3 Certified Financial Trainers at The Financial Gym and they’re here to Gymsplain Freelancing. They discuss some of the biggest questions related to freelancing and tips and tricks for success in self-employment, whether you have a side hustle, or do it full-time.
For more information, check out our show notes here.
Meet The Trainers Meet Jessie Gan, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Additional Resources:
- There are several free resources, including the public library and the SBA.
- The Financial Gym works with folks with a side hustle or full-time freelancers. A Certified Financial Trainer is an excellent option if you're looking for a mentor. Schedule a free warm-up call today to learn more, or check out Trainer-On-Demand.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Jazmin Higgins, an California-based Financial Trainer and she is joined by the founder of Business Building Backup, Genina Tuason, She coaches women of faith to build the life they love while serving God. Genina and Jazmin met at the FinGym on the Road event in LA, and realized they have a lot in common, including their faith and how it inspires their financial coaching practices. They talk today about coaching women of faith and some of their favorite Bible verses related to personal finance.
For more details, check our show notes here!
Connect with Genina and Business Building Backup Instagram: @businessbuildingbackup/
Website: https://www.businessbuildingbackup.com
Email: hello@businessbuildingbackup.com
Meet The Trainer Meet Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Kylie Lipinski, a DC-based Financial Trainer and she is joined by Gym colleague, Chandra. Chandra, based in NY, is the Community Engagement Lead at The Financial Gym and is here today to talk about The Gym community. Since the physical locations officially closed earlier this year, they have been focusing on how to connect in new, hybrid-style ways. From client-specific opportunities to those open to the public, Chandra and Kylie talk about all the different ways you can get involved in The Financial Gym Community even more!
For more details check out our shownotes.
- You can always check the ‘Events & Webinars’ page on FinancialGym.com to check dates and register to attend!
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two Certified Financial Trainers, Kadri, and Joy are talking about one of the biggest line items in most budgets: food. Where you live, your lifestyle and your schedule are all factors in your overall food spending and there are always opportunities for improvement. With Joy’s side expertise in meal prep coaching, she joins Kadri today to talk about why food spending is a struggle for folks and strategies she shares with clients to improve their food spending habits.
For more details, check out our show notes here!
Read more About Meal Prepping on the Blog:
- 4 Tips to Cut Down on Your Food Budget this Fall
- 9 Ways to Spend Less Money on Food
- How to Meal Prep on a Budget
Also mentioned in this episode: * Watch: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat * Apps to check out: PlateJoy, SuperCook
Fin Gym Meal Kit Recommendations:
- HelloFresh
- Purple Carrot
- Green Chef
- Freshly
- Blue Apron
- Sunbasket
- EveryPlate
- Factor Meals
Meet The Trainers Meet Joy Liu, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer & Head of Trainer Academy
Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Kadri Augustin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer. He is joined by colleague Mike Poulin to talk about credit. While credit scores can seem like a mystery, there are aspects within your control. From understanding your credit score, to how to check your credit report, to making improvements, Kadri and Mike get into all the details.
For more details check out our show notes here!
If you have questions about your credit score or report and want the help of a Certified Financial Trainer, check out Trainer-on-Demand, or schedule a free 20-minute consultation to learn more about working with a Financial Trainer!
Check all three of your credit reports for free at: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/
Meet The Trainers Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Mike Poulin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Mike Poulin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer. He is joined by River Nice (they/them), founder of Be Intentional Financial LLC. River started their firm in 2019 after a career in the tech industry. They join Mike today to talk about all things queer finance and the unique challenges folks who don’t fit into government-issued binaries face within our systems. They highlight the differences in financial planning for the queer and trans community and provide helpful tips for folks in the community and their allies.
For more details check out the shownotes here.
If you’re interested in working on your finances in a judgment-free zone, schedule a free 20-minute consultation today with The Financial Gym. If you want to work with River, you can learn more here!
Connect with River Nice Website: www.beintentionalfinancial.com
Instagram: @rivernice.financialplanner
Tiktok: @RiverNice.Finance
Free workshops: https://learn.beintentionalfinancial.com/Linktree
Free financial planning consultation
Meet The Trainer Meet Mike Poulin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Kylie Lipinski and Catriona Williams, two Certified Level 2 Trainers at Financial Gym talk about fun savings challenges you can try this autumn. With the holidays in a few months, it’s a great time to start setting aside a little extra cash. A savings challenge is a fun way to do so, and today, they talk though a few different ones you can try!
For more details check out our show notes here.
Meet The Trainers Meet Catriona Williams, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Kylie Lipinksi, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
To round out this month's family-focused podcasts we want to repost this episode. On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Garrett Faulconer, Financial Trainer, and he is joined by his colleague, Randi DeGraw, New Jersey-based trainer and mother of two, to discuss talking to kids about money.
For further details check here!
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Jazmin Higgins, a Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer and she is joined by Gym client Mary. It can be challenging to talk about money with your family, so today, they talk about how to start a conversation with your parents. After being a member of The Financial Gym for a while, Mary gifted her parents a membership, and it transformed the way they all think about and manage money.
It’s better to try and have the conversation than keep ignoring it. If you feel like your parents would benefit from working with a Certified Financial Trainer, send them to FinancialGym.com to schedule a free warmup call or gift them a membership!
Meet The Trainer Meet Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Resources Mentioned In the Episode: Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk - Book and Website
For more details, check out our shownotes!
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Kylie and Jazmin are talking about blending finances with a partner. This topic is very common among Financial Gym clients. From couples reimagining the way they manage their finances to helping folks navigate combining them for the first time, our Trainers see it all. Today Jazmin and Kylie talk about how they both manage money in their relationships, and the advice they share with clients.
For more info check out our show notes here!
Tools & Resources for Blending Finances * The Honeydue Finance App is great for couples and takes out some of the learning curves. * 1-1 Accountability Coaching with a Certified Financial Trainer * Trainer-on-Demand
Meet The Trainers Meet Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Kylie Lipinski, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
When it comes to saving for your child’s future, there are a number of options available. On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our Certified Financial Trainers, Joy Liu and Mike Poulin, are discussing the different types of investment accounts you can use to save for your children’s future, considerations for each, and how to choose which is the best for you!
Links Mentioned in the Show:
- Schedule a Free 20 Minute Consultation
- Refer The Gym to Your HR / Benefits Team
- Become a Certified Financial Trainer
Meet The Trainers
Joy Liu - Head of Trainer Academy
Mike Poulin - Level 2, Certified Financial Trainer
For more info, check out the full show notes here!
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Bevin Morgan, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer and she is joined by one of her clients, Maggie May. Today, they discuss a unique form of philanthropy: giving circles. Giving circles aim to make philanthropy accessible for people of all budgets! They are groups of like-minded people who pool together their time, energy, and money to make a difference. Maggie tells us about giving circles, how she and her friends founded The Undercard Collective, and how you can get involved in collective philanthropy.
Connect with Maggie May & The Undercard Collective Website: TheUnderCardCollective.com
Instagram: @undercardcollective
Meet The Trainer Meet Bevin Morgan, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
For more details, check out the show notes here!
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer Genar Mendez. He is joined by Financial Gym client Sam Block who is recording from her tiny house in the Colorado mountains. Sam works as a Branding & Mindset Coach and today Genar asks her about some of the biggest challenges she sees her clients face and tips for working through them.
Connect with Sam Website: https://samblockcoaching.com
Instagram: @sam__block
Meet The Trainer Meet Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Also mentioned:
Beautiful You Coaching Academy.
For full show notes click here!
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer is joined by Rachel Adaline. Rachel joined The Financial Gym in May of 2022 as the Human Resource Manager and this is her first appearance on the podcast! She’s here to chat with Jazmin about Employer Benefits. There are different benefits that may be offered by your employer and sorting through them can be confusing. They gymsplain the typical enrollment packages to help you make sense of it all!
For more details click here.
In America, health insurance is one of the most complicated systems to navigate. With The Great Resignation, more people than ever are looking for alternative options to traditional health insurance. Some folks are in between jobs or are taking the leap to try something on their own for the first time.
Indipop is a healthshare platform aiming to fill the gaps for folks who might not be the best candidate for traditional insurance. Melissa Blatt joins Certified Financial Trainer Kadri Augustin for the second time on the podcast, to share an update about Indipop. Her first appearance was in February 2021 and because healthcare is constantly changing, there’s a lot to chat about today.
Podcast Notes * Everyone should have accessible and affordable healthcare. It shouldn’t be something you can just afford with nothing at all included. Indipop was born from Melissa’s personal struggle when she left the corporate world. The process of finding health insurance was incredibly frustrating. * When most people think about insurance, it’s planning for the worst-case scenario, but what if insurance was for more than the ‘what if’ moments in life? * Choosing an insurance policy isn’t fun, and can be a confusing process. In addition to the monthly payment, other important considerations include: + What is the deductible? (the amount you have to pay before insurance kicks in) + Which doctors are included in the network? Is virtual care included? + Is preventative care included? + How much are the copays? + Are there annual or lifetime caps to the amount of coverage?
- How indipop is addressing the gaps for freelancers and those underinsured:
- Indipop plans are not the ‘unicorn’ or one-size-fits all plan, but it provides options.
- They are subscription plans, where you become a member of a community that shares the costs of medical needs, with an open network.
- There’s a care logistics team to help you navigate through your medical needs.
- You are able to keep your doctor, and receive care even if traveling.
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Whether it is care on demand, or a referral, you’re not alone figuring out what is best for you.
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How it works:
- Indipop brings plans to you. All of them are highly vetted and meet a strict criteria. They’re plans that Melissa uses herself and feels comfortable sharing with her friends and family.
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There are eligibility and considerations around pre-existing conditions, with a two year check in.
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Some of the changes in the healthcare industry since Melissa’s last appearance:
- It’s an exciting time to be in healthcare and see the industry changing. These types of memberships are more available, especially in mental health and pharmacy care.
- Virtual medicine has really expanded and evolved. People like being able to receive care at home; they feel less rushed and more comfortable. Virtual medicine cuts out time, traveling, waiting, and logistics.
- People are asking for virtual healthcare because it’s working, and they’re getting the help they need.
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Younger people want to take control of their health and are interested in preventative care.
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Traditional insurance has a place, but it’s refreshing there are different options out there, like indipop. Indipop replaces insurance with a new, different type of healthcare.
- It is available to clients in all 50 states, even when traveling.
- Customer service is a huge priority. When we aren’t feeling well, it can be hard to function and the team is there to make sure you’re taken care of.
- Healthshare companies are not new, but they are becoming more mainstream and accessible.
Listen to Melissa’s previous appearance on Financially Naked: Healthcare for Freelancers
Learn More About indipop Website: https://indipop.co/
Email: hello@indipop.co
Instagram: @theindipop
Meet The Trainer Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Genar Mendez, a Certified Level 2 Financial Trainer, and he is joined by Gym client Christian Prince. Christian is a digital nomad, who has worked in tech recruitment for over seven years. In 2021, he decided to pursue his dreams of playing professional basketball and living overseas. He just finished playing his first season in Spain with a team in Valencia. Today, Genar interviews Christian about his journey from deciding to become a digital nomad, the lessons learned along the way, to what’s next on the horizon.
Podcast Notes * Genar opens by asking Christian to share what started his journey of becoming a digital nomad.
+ In 2020, Christian felt like he was up against a wall emotionally, spiritually, and physically. He knew he needed to make a change, but didn’t know what was next. He took a leap of faith, quit his job, and stepped into the unknown. In the back of his mind, he dreamed of living abroad, and didn’t know it at the time, but was planting the seeds to make it happen.
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Many people can relate to Christian’s story about feeling stuck. It takes enormous courage and faith to leap into the unknown. Genar asks Christian what advice he’d give someone who might be feeling stuck but afraid to take that leap.
- Christian could feel physically in his body that a change needed to happen. The feeling was there, building and building. Your body and mind will tell you or you may feel trapped in a negative space.
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It’s important to have a plan in place. Quitting a job might not be a realistic option for some people. Christian talks about what the steps looked like for him.
- In 2020, he realized he wasn’t pursuing his dreams, he asked himself if he’d rather go for it all and fail or be the person who followed someone else’s path. He made the decision to pursue something he wanted.
- Around that time, he heard about a basketball summer league in Spain. He got tunnel vision on this goal and started working hard to get to this camp. He wanted to be in that environment and started taking on extra side jobs and saving as much as he could.
- In May of 2021 he was able to compete in the summer league. He was playing basketball twice a day. There were games, practices, and weight training. Going through this process finally felt like he was pursuing his dreams. He felt like things were going in the right direction and was exposed to a remote work opportunity.
- He started writing and sharing on Medium, which was a great platform for blogging and sharing his story. In January, he started a remote position as a recruiter. This job allows him to work from anywhere and continue to pursue his basketball and his writing. All of his dreams and passions came together in a unique way.
- Once the big picture came into focus, he was able to get clear on what he wanted and put in the work. Everything started falling into place. When we let go of what isn’t serving us anymore, we get more clear about what we want.
- Now Christian gets to live out his dreams working in the recruiter position and traveling as a digital nomad.
- Christian would have been more open with his friends and family and used his voice to be more transparent throughout the process.
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Christian shares about culture shocks he experienced:
- Living and being a resident in Spain was very different from his time studying abroad.
- Their pace and way of life are very different from America. It’s much slower and work isn’t the central focus of everyone’s lives. It seems like in America, we live to work, and over there, people work to live.
- He took some Spanish classes and really immersed himself in the language. He loved how people really bring you in and make you feel like part of the family.
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Christian talks through what this all looked like financially:
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He shouts out Gina, and says without her and Financial Gym, none of this would be possible for him.
- What helped Christian develop a budget and stick to it was getting very clear about what the goal was. He was connected to the dream of living in Spain.
- It’s about not being impulsive and making sacrifices in the short term to accomplish those big goals.
- Christian talks about how he takes everything one day, week, and month at a time. He met with Gina before Spain and planned the next few months. Being able to execute the plan made him feel like a financially responsible adult.
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Christian shares the greatest lesson he’s learned being a digital nomad and living abroad:
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Have faith in being rooted in your purpose. There are things that may not go as planned, mistakes, and failures, but they are helping you build resilience to take the bigger leaps in life. He has been able to let go of the fear and anxiety, and see life more clearly. He feels like he’s on the right path and continues to learn every day.
Christian is a multidisciplinary creative, as a freelance writer and a DJ. An avid world traveler, he has been to 13 countries and counting. He looks forward to playing basketball in the UK this upcoming season while continuing to work as a digital nomad and creative.
Connect with Christian Medium: Medium.com/@cprincejr
Instagram: @christianprinc3
Meet The Trainer Meet Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Danielle Thomas, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer at The Financial Gym. She is joined by Lindsay Clark from Savi. Lindsay is a fierce champion for the student loan borrower - having accumulated enormous student debt over the course of her undergraduate and graduate studies at Yale and Columbia, respectively. Having worked in advocacy and financial technology for nearly a decade, Lindsay brings a deep understanding of the urgency behind providing solutions for student loan borrowers. As Director of External Affairs, Lindsay built and continues to lead our front-line efforts to assist America’s 46 million borrowers.
It’s been over two years since the government first paused federal student loan payments and interest, and for so many borrowers it’s been out of sight and out of mind. With the possibility of cancellation and updates to policies passed with Covid relief, there’s a lot of news and support for borrowers out there. Savi helps America's 46 million student loan borrowers easily lower their payments and find forgiveness. Lindsay is here to share some of the highlights and things to watch out for if you’re a borrower.
Podcast Notes * Savi was founded in 2017 by student loan policy experts and advocates. Since repayment options and forgiveness programs are new, clunky, and can be challenging to comprehend, Savi is designed to help!
* They work with borrowers across the country to help them be more informed and empowered as borrowers and consumers. From understanding repayment options to navigating the application process, all the way to crossing the finish line.
* Where to get started if you have student loans:
* + Understand the different repayment options. For federal student loan debt, there are programs and various payment plans (some income based) available.
When considering which is the best fit for you, think about where you will be five and ten years in the future.
Income Based Repayment: * Excellent for people who may be struggling to make the monthly payment for folks newly out of school, looking for their first job.
- The required payment is based on your income and considers tax filing, rather than basing it on the amount of debt.
- Some borrowers do not take advantage of these plans, including Lindsay when she was first paying back her loans.
- These income-based plans are a much better option than forbearance. At the end of these plans, loan forgiveness is an option if you’re eligible. While the programs aren’t perfect, there are planned improvements in the coming years.
- In general, any debt forgiven under an income-based repayment plan is considered taxable income on your taxes that year.
- There was recently a law passed that grants tax-free forgiveness for these repayment plans through 2025. It may be extended past that, but we don’t know yet.
Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF): * This program started in October of 2007. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of technicalities required for forgiveness to be granted that a lot of borrowers were not aware of. Out of the 100,000 applications, less than 1% were accepted. * Requirements: * + Be employed by an eligible institution + 120 qualifying payments + Be on an income-based repayment plan and have a qualifying loan type
- In general, people met the employer requirement, but did not have the correct type of loans and weren’t on the right type of payment plan.
- Right now, there is a limited waiver for the PSLF program where they’ve expanded the requirements around loan type and payment plan. This will only be available until October 31, 2022, but expands the number of eligible borrowers.
- If you applied and were rejected in the past, you may now be eligible and should take action before October. Since the expansion, over 100,000 borrowers have been granted forgiveness.
- If your loans are forgiven through the PSLF program, the forgiveness is tax-free.
- One of the biggest issues surrounding the student loan crisis is that there is hardly any communication from the institutions supporting borrowers and there is a barrier to entry. You can read studentaid.gov all day long, and still not be clear on all of the information.
- This waiver did not get a lot of attention, and a majority of people don’t know they might qualify for forgiveness.
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Any news on another extension on payment pauses or possible cancellation?
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As of now, payments are set to resume on September 1, 2022.
- This has become such a political issue, Lindsay predicts it is unlikely they’ll turn payments back on right before the midterm election, and she would not be surprised if it was extended further. As of now, payments will resume.
- To prepare, be aware of your federal provider and the current payment due. Three of the largest loan servicers announced they are ending their contracts, so many people will be transitioned to other servicers. If you’re not sure where your loans are currently, make sure to find out that info.
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If you’re unsure where your loans are held, you can check studentaid.gov. The username and password will be from when you took out the debt but can be easily reset if you don’t remember. All of the loan and grant information should be available there, along with who is holding the loans now.
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Loan cancellation was a huge campaign promise and there is pressure on lawmakers to make it happen. It might look like $10,000 may be forgiven and have income limits.
- The rising cost of higher education is what is fueling the debt crisis and while forgiveness will provide relief to some borrowers, it does not fix the problem. This is not a matter of either or, it’s a matter of addressing both sides of the crisis.
- If someone has debt out there and has never logged in or made a payment, what should they do?
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- The government recently announced Fresh Start, which will bring any borrowers out of default once payments resume. It would be a mass reset for roughly 8 million borrowers who are in default, many of whom have balances less than $10,000.
- This is separate from loan rehabilitation, which is a process that can take up to nine months.
- Lindsay assures us the momentum and direction of the policy are positive and we’re going to see good changes come through. She’s more optimistic than she’s ever been and hopes these will help improve the system.
Read more about student loans:
FAQs About Student Loans
6 Questions to Ask Before Refinancing Student Loans
5 Things to do Before the Student Loan Pause is Over
Mythbusting Student Loans
Connect with Savi BySavi.com
Meet The Trainer
Meet Danielle Thomas, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Investing is one of the most common goals clients have at The Financial Gym and is a popular topic in financial media, especially as of late. There have been more questions than ever about investing, so on this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Jazmin and Sydney sit down today to talk about it. They discuss the order of operations for creating a strong financial foundation and how to start your investing journey from there.
Podcast Notes When it comes to investing, the best time to start is as early as you can, but there are a few other financial priorities to check off the list before diving in. At The Financial Gym, there is a specific order of operations Trainers typically recommend for clients.
- The first priority is an emergency fund. It is important to be prepared for the short term before investing in long-term goals.
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Learn more about emergency funds: Using Your Emergency Fund
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The next step is to address high-interest debt: usually credit cards or personal loans. Lower interest debt (like student loans) is a separate part of the conversation and is not as pressing as higher interest debt.
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Learn more about managing debt: Debt & Credit Management Gymsplained
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Once those first items on the checklist are taken care of, it is time to start investing!
Often when people hear or think about investing, it is in regards to purchasing individual stocks or cryptocurrency. Before diving into those, start with retirement investing. Setting yourself up for the future should ideally come before other investment goals.
- If offered through the workplace, employer-sponsored 401k’s (or 403b’s, etc) are a great place to start. If you’re contributing to a retirement plan, you are already an investor!
- If they offer a match, and it’s within your budget to contribute up to that match, that is ideal.
- If a 401k isn’t available through the workplace, or you’re already maxing that out, the next account to consider, if you’re eligible, is a Roth IRA.
- The next consideration would be other tax-advantaged accounts, such as 529 plans or Health Savings Accounts.
Investing outside of retirement:
- The first step is to ask yourself the question: what am I investing for?
- It is important to figure out what you are investing for and the timeline for that goal. Asset allocation is a key part of investing, and the timeline is a huge part of deciding that.
- Bonds carry less risk than stocks, but stocks have a greater rate of return, so you want to have a little bit of both.
- For example, a shorter-term goal could be 75% stocks and 25% bonds.
- If the goal is 10+ years away, long-term asset allocation would look more like 90% stocks and 10% bonds.
- This is broad advice and it truly depends on a few variables including your personal risk level.
- Once you have the goal, put a system in place! It’s about figuring out what works best for you and following those systems. Trainers typically recommend:
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Setting up recurring contributions and making them automatic. Automating is one of the best ways to stay on track. It’s how most 401k plans are set up, and you can set that up for your other investment accounts too!
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If you are looking for an easy way to get started robo-advisors can be a great option. These are digital platforms that will help you invest money based on your goals and timeline. You answer some questions, and the algorithm does the work for you.
- Because they are doing the work for you, these robo-advisors generally have fees, but they are less intimidating, especially if you are just getting started.
Investing is one of the most common goals among clients at The Financial Gym, and we know a lot of people want to dive in, but it can feel overwhelming.
- If you want a Financial Trainer to hold your hand through the journey and provide a custom plan so you can reach your goals faster, chat with our warm-up call team about the Accountability Program!
- If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer on your investing-specific goals, check out Trainer on Demand where you can meet with us once a month to talk through your questions.
Read More About Investing:
Investing 101: What are Investment Markets
The Other Gender Wealth Gap, The Investing Gap
How to Invest For Your Child’s Future
Why Should I Invest In a Socially or Environmentally Responsible Way?
Tools to Invest in the World You Want
Meet The Trainers Meet Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Sydney Kobell, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Victoria and Yenny discuss familial expectations around financial support and how to plan for it in your budget! Depending on your family dynamic, this may apply to you in different ways. We love our families and want to help them as much as we can, which is why it is important to fold it into the budget to ensure our own finances are taken care of. Yenny takes us through her personal experience supporting her family financially and how that has evolved over time.
Podcast Notes * In the 1980s, Yenny’s parents immigrated from El Salvador and she is deeply passionate about helping other first-generation Americans starting out on their personal finance journeys. She aims to help her community build knowledge and wealth. Because she has first-hand experience growing up in an immigrant family, this work is personal for her. * Yenny’s parents' main focus was the day-to-day, so they didn’t have much experience planning for retirement. It’s hard to plan for the future when you’re in a cycle of making ends meet. She has heard similar stories from her clients. * She wanted to learn everything she could and get a bigger picture. She started researching and reading blogs and loved seeing all the different personal finance perspectives. * She reflected on her own situation and got clear on the financial goals she wanted to achieve. She wanted to ensure she was carving her own path. * In 2015, Yenny purchased a home, which was one of her goals. She shared that experience with her family, and other members purchased their own homes within the next couple of years. Sometimes seeing someone close to you accomplish a goal shows you it’s more attainable than you may have thought. * Victoria asks Yenny to share more about the expectations there were in regards to supporting her family financially when she was growing up. + There are a lot of feelings that come with supporting your family. They have sacrificed so much, there’s a sense of obligation to pay it back to them, even though you truly never can. There’s also an excitement in being able to share wealth and knowledge with them. When she was in college, she would try to do small things for her parents. As she made more money, the expectation became greater. + There was a point in time when Yenny was living paycheck to paycheck even though she was making more money than ever before. It made her pause and reflect on what she was spending and how much financial support she was providing to her parents. + She had to sit down and do the math before it really clicked for her. She’d been giving without a budget, and a lot of their bills had become intertwined; like the insurance and cell phone plan. She had to reframe these expenses in her mind and remember this was part of the overall contribution. + She also helps them find support and discounts in other ways that are available to them now that they are retired and on a fixed income. She is transparent with her family about her goals, and they are very understanding. + Her family has a sense of collaboration, like a shared Costo card and strategic bulk buying. It is lovely to see everyone take care of each other and grow financially. + If you want a Certified Financial Trainer to help plan a budget so you can support your family financially, schedule a free warm-up call today!
Meet The Trainers Meet Victoria Sechrist, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Yenny Urquilla, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Joy Liu, Head of Trainer Academy. Joining her today are two new team members of The Financial Gym, Erika Moromisato and Juan Valeriano. Erika and Juan are both Level 2 Certified Financial Trainers and Joy is interviewing them today so we can hear their stories and get to know them better.
Podcast Notes * Joy starts by asking Juan and Erika how they found The Financial Gym and what led them to apply for this job? + Erika’s parents immigrated from Peru and her mom taught her to save her money, but there wasn’t much guidance beyond that. When she got to college, she realized she had to support herself completely. She had a part-time job and her boss gave her some advice and tips, which was the start of her interest in personal finance. She applied for the position over a year ago and learned about the CFT school. She was part of the first cohort, but was then hired to be an employee of The Gym. + Juan was also raised in an immigrant household. Growing up, he witnessed his family make fear-based decisions with money. As he got older, Juan liked seeing money go into his account, but struggled to spend it. He never developed debt, but didn’t feel confident about what to do with the money he’d saved. He graduated in 2020 with a BFA in acting, but the industry was dormant at the time because of the Covid. He used this time to learn something that scared him, personal finance. Within five months, he’d read seven different personal finance books and wanted to share this knowledge with other artists who are scared of money. When he searched to see if someone was doing this work, he found The Financial Gym.
- Joy asks Juan and Erika to tell us about what hobbies, skills, and interests make them unique as people and Financial Trainers.
- Erika got married in the middle of a pandemic, and she owns a condo with her wife that they are renting to friends while living in Queens with her in-laws.
Personal finance is interesting to her because she loves all types of self-improvement. One of her dream goals one day is to build a tiny home. -
Juan lives with his long-term girlfriend, and Thickems, their cat. They’ve been living in LA since March, but before that, he lived in New York, Florida, and went to school in Dallas. Juan loves gaming, sports, and art in all of its forms.
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Joy asks Juan and Erika to share their best financial decisions and a learning opportunity they’ve experienced.
- Erika shares that her biggest learning opportunity is when a ten-year relationship ended overnight. She did not have an emergency fund and had been depending on this partner for certain financial needs. Since then, she’s been great at risk management and planning for emergencies. Last year, there was a family emergency and she needed to take a same-day flight home. Having the emergency fund allowed her to book the ticket without feeling financially stressed.
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Juan talks about how investing in himself through books transformed his mentality toward money. The two most impactful books he read were, The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel and I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi. Juan’s biggest hindrance is that he considers himself a perfectionist which can lead to inaction. He now focuses on progress over perfection.
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The Financial Gym meets clients where they are, and serves anyone who comes through the door. Joy asks the new Trainers who they’re most excited to serve in this role.
- Erika wants to be a financial hype woman for anyone who needs it. She loves to encourage people to follow their potential and loves working with people who are early on in their careers.
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Juan is excited to serve artists who are just starting out, fresh out of college, or those coming from a fear-based mentality. He also wants to work with first-generation Americans and folks from immigrant families.
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If you want to work with Juan or Erika, schedule a free warm-up call today. Let the associate know you heard the podcast episode and would like to request one of these folks!
Meet The Trainer Meet Joy Liu, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer & Head of Trainer Academy
Meet Erika Moromisato, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Juan Valeriano, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Joy, Head of Trainer Academy, is joined by one of her long time friends, Belma McCaffrey, Founder of Work Bigger. Belma’s story resonates with Joy and a lot of the clients that come through The Financial Gym. Today, they’re talking about finding your ‘superpower’ and how you can use that to connect to your life’s purpose. For anyone who is looking to make a change or is asking the question, ‘what do I want to do with my life?’ this conversation is not one you’ll want to miss.
Podcast Notes * Work Bigger is for dissatisfied big achievers, asking the question, ‘What do I want to do with my life?’ It is the resource Belma needed in her 20’s. At the time, she struggled to know what she wanted to do with her career but knew she wanted to make an impact. When she went back to business school, Belma quickly realized she was not the only person with this problem. Work Bigger was born to be the solution and is helpful for people who feel a little lost. * Joy works with a number of clients who go through this struggle. A huge aspect of building a financial plan is setting goals that are meaningful to you. Once it’s clear what those goals are, it’s easier to set action steps and make them happen. Changing your mindset without knowing the bigger purpose can be challenging.
Joy asks Belma to define ‘superpower’ and why it’s important to know what yours is.
- It’s ‘what do I care about, and why?’ Your thumbprint, or what really makes you unique. It’s about identifying what is the special value that you can add to this world. Once we know and understand our superpowers, they can be activated.
How do you start the process of finding your superpower?
- Belma has a class that goes into more detail: linked here, but shares the highlights.
- There are four clues: emotions, actions, feedback, & understanding your WHY.
- Emotions: What are you doing when you’re feeling in the flow? We have positive and negative responses, identify what you’re doing when you are feeling positive.
- Actions: What do you find yourself doing when you’re in a place of flow? Understand that behavior.
- Feedback: What are other people reflecting back to you your superpower is?
- Your WHY: Understanding who you are and what drives you. Once you’re clear on that, you can get more clear on the work you do every day.
- It’s a journey of self-discovery and is totally normal to not have all the answers without going through the process.
Joy asks, ‘How did you get to the clues and what are your superpowers that lead you to Work Bigger?’
- It took Belma a lot of work to figure out the four clues and did so by tapping into her own journey. She thought her dissatisfaction with the workplace was the workplace’s fault. But she pivoted and started having conversations with people in similar situations, connecting with them mentally and emotionally.
- She started by reading a lot of books including What Color is my Parachute? and Big Book of Jobs. She thought if she could see the job, something would click for her.
- She spent time researching and speaking with therapists and coaches. She put together a beta and it was a culmination of worksheets and questions that she was working on with other people.
- Understanding your emotional landscape is foundational. Before the resume, the cover letter, or any of that, the foundation must be built. Navigating the external world is easier once the internal compass is set.
Joy asks, ‘What are some emotional or behavioral cues that led you to this work and guiding others?’
- Belma has always gravitated towards the big picture, strategic thinking, which comes into play when she is coaching clients. She feels energized and connected when she is teaching, speaking, and supporting clients.
Joy talks about how guiding people through a transformation or action that they wanted to do, but couldn’t quite make happen themselves.
- She gets to meet people where they are, ask questions, and present solutions. It’s about finding pathways to accomplish the things they want with more ease. She previously worked in advertising and uses the skills from that job in this role, which is more fulfilling for Joy.
- Belma talks about how they encounter this a lot at Work Bigger. Working a job that is unfulfilling or one that isn’t helping with your financial goals can be a real barrier in the process. Using what you’re naturally good at can help propel you to your goals.
Joy asks Belma what are some common struggles people are facing when they join Work Bigger? What inspires them to join?
- Money and career are so connected. Belma talks about how they see a mindset and fear around money at Work Bigger. There’s a fear of pivoting because making a change has financial impacts. It’s important to have a healthy mindset around money and leverage a career that will serve your life and your well-being. With clarity comes the ability to make more intentional decisions. You don’t have to stay at a job that isn’t paying you enough or is unfulfilling.
Joy asks Belma to share some of the pivots and transitions she’s witnessed.
- They see people launching their own businesses and projects. Sometimes what they thought was going to take years, they’re able to accomplish in a few months. Others make smaller pivots because they realize they don’t need a huge change. They see it all at Work Bigger.
- What really matters is that each individual is clear on what they want. The best thing that can happen through this process is discovering what’s best for you.
- There are stories out there where people make it happen really quickly, but that’s not most people’s reality. At Work Bigger, the focus is on following the path in a healthy and sustainable way. Belma didn’t jump into Work Bigger full-time, she was able to do it by cutting back from her full-time job.
- Through the process of discovery, you may find what lights you up isn’t necessarily related to your work. The corporate job can be more bearable when you know it’s a tool to help you do what really lights you up. It doesn’t have to check every box.
- The superpower can take different forms. Knowing your superpower is wonderful and it can come up in other areas of your life, like a side hustle or hobby.
- Work Bigger has a free class about how to find your superpower. It goes through the internal process but also how to manifest that into the world. What does that look like, is it your next job, a new business, or something out. It helps you let go of the pressure and to help you find a way to feel connected every day as much as possible.
- If you’re looking to dig in and find your superpower, check out workbigger.co and register for the FREE class.
Connect with Work Bigger Website: Work Bigger
Instagram: @workbigger
LinkedIn: Belma McCaffrey
Meet The Trainer Joy Liu, Certified Level 2 Financial Trainer & Head of Trainer Academy
This episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, is all about saving money! It is an important aspect of personal finance and one people struggle with the most. Saving money is like a muscle. If you haven’t saved before, that money muscle is going to need some work. There are so many things to save for, emergencies, retirement, pets, travel, the list goes on; how do you even get started? Chandra and Hector, two of our Certified Financial Trainers talk through their personal savings journeys and how to start building and flexing that money saving muscle.
Podcast Notes Hector and Chandra talk about their relationships with saving money and how they relate to their clients.
- Chandra has an on-again-off-again relationship with savings. When she was young, her grandma told her to save half of her money. This was easy for her to do as a kid when she was getting ‘free’ money, but as she became a teen and young adult, saving didn’t come naturally. She would always save, but then use the money before allowing it to grow into anything significant.
- Hector always heard the generic advice, ‘save your money,’ but there wasn’t specific guidance beyond that. Now that he has more control of his finances, saving money is not reactionary, but rather proactive and part of the plan.
- There are different money personalities. Some people are better savers naturally, where others lean towards spending. It’s important to find the balance: save what you need to accomplish your goals, but also budget for what you enjoy.
- It can feel discouraging when you need to use the money saved, but that’s what it is for. Having the emergency fund when it is needed is a win. If you saved the money before, you’ll be able to save it again. It’s all part of the journey.
- Chandra reminds everyone that emergency funds are for emergencies only. Going to Tulum or Coachella is not an emergency.
- Clients are hardest on themselves and Trainers are there to extend grace and remind them of all of the progress they’ve made.
- Some goals can be intimidating for folks to think about saving that much money. If the end goal number feels intimidating, take it one step at a time.
- Hector and Chandra share how reaching a savings goal makes them feel. Chandra feels a sense of accomplishment and Hector gains comfort having money saved.
Tips & Tricks
- If you don’t have a lot of wiggle room in your budget, start small.
- Open a High Yield Savings Account - it should be an institution separate from your regular checking account.
- Set up automatic transfers from your paycheck. You can set these up through your payroll with some employers, or through your bank on payday. The important part is ‘set it and forget it’.
- Make it fun! Think of it like a game or ‘savings challenge’. These games are a great way to stay motivated and enjoy the process of saving.
If you want to work with a Financial Trainer to help you reach your savings goals, learn more here.
Meet The Trainers Meet Chandra Savage, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Hector Lopez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
This episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym is about how to get the most from summer without blowing your budget. After two years of covid life, there is a lot of travel, weddings, and other events to plan for. We all want to go out (safely) when we can, but with inflation, it’s expensive outside! Sara W and Yenny, two of our Certified Financial Trainers are here to talk about how we can plan to live our best lives this summer while staying financially healthy.
Podcast Notes Start with the basics:
- The first step of knowing how much money you’re able to spend this summer is knowing where you are financially right now. From there you can make a plan to budget for the things you want to do! It’s not easy to make a plan if you’re not sure how much money you’re working with.
- Sara tells us that we can have anything we want, but not everything. Depending on what you want to do this summer, trade offs might have to be made.
- What things are you excited to do and spend money on? Once you know that, you can really focus and start planning for those things.
- When making your budget, ensure there is a reasonable allowance for variable expenses and the fun things you want to do!
- Think about where you can adjust spending, or how to increase your income.
How to prepare for big-ticket items this summer:
- With things opening up, travel is top of mind for people this summer and many of the weddings planned for the last few years are happening now.
- The best way to start saving for these expenses is by setting up a sinking fund. This is a savings account, separate from your emergency fund, where you set aside money for your goals or fun plans.
- Check on any travel credits from 2020 and make sure to redeem those before they expire.
- If you want more specific tips about traveling on a budget, check out these two episodes of Financially Naked: Travel Hacking & Traveling on a Budget
- When thinking about weddings, in addition to travel and accommodations, make sure to plan for the other expenses such as the gift or going out with friends when you’re all together.
- If you’re attending a few weddings this summer, use the same outfit styled different ways instead of purchasing a whole new outfit for each one.
- People are more understanding now than ever, if you can’t afford a big gift, that’s okay! Your friends and family are happy to see you and your presence is a great present.
Tips for managing everyday expenses while enjoying the summer:
- This is where the trade-offs start to come in. Go through the list of fixed expenses and scrutinize every charge. Are there things you can pause like gym memberships or streaming subscriptions that will get less use while you spend time outside?
- Can you call and negotiate any insurance or interest rates? It’s good to shop around and see what options are out there.
- Eliminate unnecessary fees where possible, such as late fees or overdraft charges.
- Are there convenience fees that can be cut? Think about picking up your dinner instead of ordering delivery. This is a great option when the weather is nice, will save you on delivery charges, and directly supports the restaurant.
- Use coupon codes and rewards as much as you can. Some common examples are browser extensions like Honey or a rewards system like Rakuten.
When it feels like the spending is “out of control”
- Focus on a few categories. The first step is being aware of which ones impact your budget the most. Drill down on that category and see where the opportunities are.
- Pay yourself first by making savings automatic. This ensures your savings goals are being met, and you can feel great about the money left over to spend on the variables.
- Be intentional with your money. We work hard to make money, so it’s important to think about that when we’re spending it.
Get creative with your plans:
- Make a summer bucket list of events and places you want to go.
- Think about all of the great ways there are to have fun for cheap or free. There are so many options out there in the summer.
- Check out your city’s calendar of events and see what is being offered. There are always events like parades, fairs, or fireworks shows.
- Going to the library is always free, and there are usually special events throughout the summer.
- Spend time outdoors while the weather is nice. Take walks around the neighborhood and find parks in your neighborhood.
- Picnics are a great, affordable, cheap outdoor option.
FOMO is real! How do you plan for everything you want to do and see everyone you want to see while managing the budget?
- Practice boundaries and communication skills with yourself and others. If you’re unable to afford certain activities with your group, suggest something else.
- If you’ve already assessed the budget and cut in all of the areas you can, what are the other options? Is it time to talk to management about a raise, or if you’re a business owner, raising your prices?
- Take a look at your own life, and seek out the positive changes that can be made.
Random Three Questions 1. What is your favorite summer activity? 2. What is your favorite thing to do for free? 3. What is your favorite summer treat?
Meet The Trainers Meet Sara W, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Yenny , Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
With inflation touching every aspect of the economy, everything feels more expensive lately, and travel is no exception. This episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym is all about traveling and how to save money while living your richest life. Kylie and Sara, two of our Certified Financial Trainers at The Gym both have experience with various types of travel and are here to share some tips they’ve learned along the way.
Podcast Notes BEFORE THE TRIP
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Saving for travel:
- If travel is something you really care about, plan ahead of time and save up for it!
- The key is always keeping what is important to you in mind. From the planning stages all the way through. You can have anything you want, but not everything.
- To save money to travel or take a vacation, budget cuts might have to be made in areas that aren’t so meaningful to you in order to make real progress.
- If you can get gifts from your loved ones for a wedding or event, put travel on the registry. This is a great thing to think about if you don’t need things. Ask for support. If you’re flying home for the holidays, can that be part of the gift so you can make the trip?
- It can take time to build up to taking a year off or saving for a dream trip. While saving, there’s a lot to explore in your state and local areas. Staycations can be fun and a chance to explore new things in your own city.
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Scheduling Ahead:
- When you are able to travel will depend on your life and various obligations.
- Kylie does not have kids and her schedule is incredibly flexible. She usually will block off time 3 months in advance, and finalize details as it gets closer.
- Sarah’s travel schedule is dependent on the kid’s school schedule, which means they usually visit their families in the summer and alternate every other holiday. They also keep a running list of places they would like to travel to and take one big trip each year.
- Don’t feel pressure to try something or pay for an experience that is not of value to you, even if it is a popular thing everyone does.
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Booking Flights
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Start looking at flights in advance, especially if you plan to travel around major holidays.
- Set your browser to incognito mode when you’re searching to help minimize tracking and price fluctuation
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Look at different iterations of the flights to see if there are more affordable options.
- If your arrival and departure days are flexible, check the price on various days to compare rates.
- If you live around a few different airports, check the flights at all of them. Consider the time and cost of commuting to those different airports when considering the price.
- If traveling with a child, those who are under 2 do not require an additional ticket purchase.
- Consider other options for travel, like trains! You can travel the east coast of the United States via train.
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Booking Accommodations:
- This is dependent on the standards of how you like to travel and the places you like to stay.
- Travel with friends, so you can split the cost of the hotel or Airbnb.
- If you have family, friends, or acquaintances in a city, reach out to see if you can stay with them.
- Kylie does a lot of backpacking and camping and she learned there is a lot of free camping out there. These free National Forest Lands might not have a lot of amenities, but totally great if you like that style of camping.
- If you’re visiting a National Park, there is usually National Forest Land within an hour or so, sometimes even closer!
- If you want to get into camping but don’t have the equipment, you can borrow it or rent it before investing in a purchase.
- There are hostels and some even have private rooms. They’re cheaper than hotels and it’s a great way to meet people.
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Other travel-related expenses that come up:
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Trip insurance or international health insurance. There's always a balance between getting enough insurance but not paying for too much which isn’t necessary. See what your credit cards and current insurances cover and go from there.
- How will you communicate? Do you need a pocket wifi device or does your phone provider cover where you’re traveling? Be prepared, know what you’ve got, and top up on what you need.
- Be mindful when packing for the trip. There can be a tendency to buy a lot, but be mindful and only purchase what is needed and borrow what you can!
- How will you be paying for things? Is it best to use cash or a credit card? Using a travel credit card can help you avoid international fees.
WHEN YOU ARE THERE:
- Depending on where you’re going and how you like to travel, one of the biggest expenses is food.
- If eating out is an important aspect of traveling for you, budget for it.
- You don’t have to eat every meal out.
- Take advantage of continental breakfasts offered by hotels.
- Buy groceries and cook meals or make sandwiches when you need something quick. You can still enjoy the food the country has to offer, even if it’s not coming from a restaurant.
- Consider taking public transit rather than renting a car or paying for taxis.
If you want to learn about using credit card points for travel, check out episode 123: Travel Hacking with Bevin & Garrett
If you’re ready for a change or want to learn more about working with a Certified Financial Trainer, schedule a free warm-up call to learn more!
Random Three Questions 1. What is a place you’ve been that you recommend others travel to? 2. Where are you traveling next? 3. What do you like to do en route? On the plane or in the car.
Meet The Trainers Meet Kylie Lipinski, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Sara Willi, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Mike Poulin, a DC-based, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer. Today’s guest, Liz, is a West Coast-based client in her early 30’s, who works in Blockchain. She first learned about The Gym through an Instagram ad, and has been a member for three years! She’s come such a long way from when she first started and is here to share her experience as a member and celebrate the wins that have happened along the way!
Podcast Notes When Liz first started with The Financial Gym:
- Total net worth: $ - 28,938
- Credit Score: 670
- 1-3 year goals: Pay down debt, save for a house, & travel through Europe.
- 3-5 year goals: Get married,
Liz’s numbers now, three years later:
- Total net worth: $179,752 (a positive change of almost $200,000)
- Credit Score: in the 700’s
Mike asks Liz how it feels to hear the numbers from three years ago.
- Hearing those numbers reminds Liz of all of the guilt and shame she was feeling years ago before she started her financial journey.
- Now she feels empowered and understands how to set meaningful goals and manage her money. She learned financial health is about figuring out what is important to you and setting financial boundaries with yourself and the outside world.
- Other than traveling through Europe (circumstances outside of all of our control), Liz has accomplished all of the goals she set. She paid down the debt, purchased a home, and is getting married in a few weeks.
- She feels proud of all of the work she’s done and talks about how this has been a life-changing experience.
If your financial journey is a road trip, A Financial Trainer is the GPS. Ultimately, you are in the driver's seat, and your Trainer is there to guide you along the way. The Financial Gym gives you the tools needed to drive the car and help get you where you want to go.
- A huge part of a financial journey is working on mindset.
- Have compassion for yourself. Everyone is coming from a different background, and we can learn and make positive changes.
- If you’ve been in debt for a long time, working through a scarcity mindset to focus on abundance can be a challenge.
- There are small changes and shifts that make a huge difference. For example, reframing ‘bad habits’ as ‘old habits’ is a small, but compassionate language shift.
Those first few milestones feel the most exciting when you’re starting out.
- She remembers saving the first $1,000 into her emergency fund, and how that was the first time there was a comma in her bank account for longer than a few hours. It felt empowering to save money for the first time.
- Liz recently had a significant financial win/windfall/circumstance
- She works at a startup, which is doing really well financially. The company was recently purchased, and Liz received a significant payout from Stocks she owned in the company.
- Even if you never expect or plan for a financial windfall, they do happen, and it opens up a lot of possibilities. Being clear on your values and your goals beforehand will help you be prepared if something like this happens. What are YOUR goals, not the ones society tells you are important?
Mike asks what Liz wants everyone to know about working with The Financial Gym
- It is a judgment-free zone. Before her first session, Liz hadn’t sat down to face the numbers. When it came time to meet for the first session, she was nervous and almost canceled the meeting.
- When she went through the numbers, Lindsay, her Trainer at the time, did not flinch or make a face as she revealed her debt.
- Your financial plan will not be all about cutting everything you enjoy. Your Trainer will help you figure out what is most important, and tell you how to reach all of your goals.
- Ultimately, you are in the driver’s seat. There is no one-size-fits-all for goals and financial planning. Success looks different for everyone, and it’s about focusing on what is important to you.
- If you are feeling shame about your current financial circumstance, you are not alone. Many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck or in debt. There are people out there to help you.
- There is a light at the end of the tunnel. A financial journey takes time, and it can feel like you’ll never get ahead. You can make a change!
- If you’re ready for a change or want to learn more about working with a Certified Financial Trainer, schedule a free warm-up call to learn more!
Meet The Trainer Meet Mike Poulin, Certified Level 2 Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Kadri and Mike, sit down to talk about balance transfer cards. These can be a great tool for debt repayment or planning large purchases. Kadri and Mike go through how these cards work, the benefits of balance transfer cards, and things to keep in mind when considering if they’re a good fit for you.
Podcast Notes There are different forms of debt consolidation, including personal loans. Which one is the best choice for you depends on a few different variables. Mike has used balance transfer cards on his own personal financial journey and he and Kadri recommend them to their clients. They are a great tool and can be used for a few different things.
What is a balance transfer card, and why consider applying for one?
Balance transfer cards offer 0% APR for a one-time fee (or low low fixed rate) for a certain amount of time, usually between 12-18 months. They can be used to:
- Consolidate multiple smaller debts together for one monthly payment
- Transfer one high interest debt to a new card to allow more time and flexibility
- To strategically finance a large purchase.
- They can be used to lower monthly payments and provide flexibility in your budget.
- If you need more time by the end of the promo offer, you can apply for another balance transfer card.
It’s important to be strategic when opening any new credit card. There are a few factors to consider, such as your credit score, current income, monthly expenses, debt to income ratio, and already existing debt payments.
What to consider before applying for a balance transfer card?
- The first step is to understand where you stand financially. Start by making a list of all of your debts: include the total owed, APR, and minimum monthly payment. It’s important to understand the whole picture in order to make the best choices.
- Take some time to reflect on your debt. There’s no need to feel shame or fixate during this process. It’s about addressing the cause to be able to break through old patterns and cycles.
- Read and understand the terms, agreements, and options for each card. Does the fee make sense for your current scenario, or is this debt better suited for a personal loan?
- Be proactive and make a plan for paying off the debt. Use this time of 0% interest to make progress on those goals.
- Make saving a priority, even while paying down debt. Having an emergency fund is the number one step for breaking out of the debt cycle.
Where do you find a balance transfer card?
- Check existing offers with cards you already have. For example, you may be able to transfer your American Express Balance to one of your Discover cards.
- You can’t transfer balances between two cards from the same provider. One Discover card can’t be transferred to another Discover card.
- If you have a credit score of 700+, you’ll likely be approved for a balance transfer card pretty easily. Depending on your overall financial picture, you may qualify even with a lower credit score.
- To find a balance transfer card that is a great fit for you, check out the BFF Approved Products Page.
- If you want a Certified Financial Trainer to walk you through the process, schedule a free warm-up call to learn more!
Listen to Kadri and Mike talk about consolidation loans on Financially Naked:
Kadri & Mike Gymsplain Consolidation Loans
Read about balance transfer cards on The Financial Gym Blog:
What to Know About Credit Card Balance Transfers
4 Signs That a Balance Transfer Card Might be Right For You
How to Pay Your Credit Card Balance Down Faster
Meet The Trainers Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Mike Poulin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
While a budget can seem intimidating, it is simply a tool to help you become financially successful. When it comes to budgeting, the key is finding a system that works and is enjoyable for you because sticking to any new habit is challenging if you dread the process! On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Gina Funaro and Mike Poulin are here to Gymsplain budgeting. They talk through their favorite budgeting methods/tools and tips for long-term success based on their personal experience and work with clients.
Podcast Notes * Gina was a client at The Gym before she was hired as an employee. Joy is her trainer, and has been since she first started at The Gym. Gina loves budgeting. The piece of advice she gives to her clients when it comes to budgeting is to find a routine that is exciting to you and fits your lifestyle. It can take some time and experimenting to figure it out; it’s just part of the process. * You can try out a system for a month or quarter to learn what works and what doesn’t.
Budgeting Basics:
- Start with multiple checking accounts. If everything is going in and out of one account, it can be hard to keep track of separate goals.
- Having different accounts makes saving for specific goals much more clear.
- It also allows separate accounts for fixed expenses (rent, utilities, insurance, etc) and variable expenses (daily spending)
Budget Styles Zero-Based Budgeting
- This style of budgeting works well for folks with consistent income, and who have a good idea of their fixed expenses and spending habits.
- This is where every dollar has a job, and certain accounts are designed to reach $0. Each dollar has a very specific duty and requires pre-planning.
- It can take some time to get into the groove of a ‘zero-based budget’ because it doesn’t leave much room for error. It takes some time to get used to your account going down to zero, especially if you come from a scarcity mindset.
Anti-Budget/No Budget Budget
- Great for folks who don’t like to track every transaction or deal with complex money management systems. If the apps or spreadsheets stress you out, this is a good system to try.
- Start with your paycheck and determine your fixed expenses and savings goals. Once you know those numbers, subtract the total fixed expenses and savings from each paycheck, and everything left over is what’s left to spend on variable expenses/whatever you want!
50/30/20 style budgeting
- A mix of the ‘anti-budget’ and ‘0-based budget.’
- This balanced approach uses your take-home pay from each paycheck.
- 50% goes towards ‘needs’ - fixed expenses, transportation, groceries.
- 30% goes towards ‘wants’ - travel, home purchases, variable spending
- 20% goes towards ‘building wealth’ - long term savings / other investments
All cash/cash envelope system
- Great for folks who like a hands-on approach or like to see the physical cash to visualize their budget.
- Each time you’re paid, withdraw the cash budgeted for that period and use it for your variable spend. Once the money is gone in each category, it’s gone, or you can roll the leftover cash into various sinking funds.
Different tools for budgeting:
- Pen & Paper is always a classic choice
- Mint
- Personal Capital
- You Need a Budget (YNAB)
- Check the app store for FREE apps
Final thoughts and tips
- When it comes time to plan your budget, pour a glass of wine or whatever makes the process enjoyable for you. Make it a fun money date.
- Find what works for you and stick with it.
- Once you find a system that works and start to see the savings grow, following a budget becomes easier.
- There is no right or wrong answer, personal finance is personal, and it’s a learning experience.
- You can use a mix of styles, or create a system that works for your goals.
Read more about budgeting on The Financial Gym Blog:
- Budgeting for Success
- 6 Tips for Budgeting as a Freelancer
- Introduction to Budgeting
If you want a Certified Financial Trainer to help you figure out the best budgeting system that works for you, book a complimentary consult call to learn more!
Meet The Trainers Meet Gina Funaro, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Mike Poulin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Credit cards can be an amazing tool in your financial planning tool belt. When you use a credit card to make purchases, there are rewards, perks, or points that come along with using that card. ‘Travel hacking’ is a method where you use credit cards with travel-related perks to earn points that can be spent on flights, hotels, or excursions.
Garrett, one of the Certified Financial Trainers at The Gym, has been traveling quite a bit recently and using credit card rewards to keep the costs low. Today, he is joined by his colleague Bevin to talk all about travel hacking. They discuss choosing the right card, how to earn points, and how to use those points to travel and explore.
Podcast Notes * Credit card points can be used for travel, exploring, hotels, and excursions. Garrett has been taking advantage of travel perks lately, and has 9 credit cards! * He and his partner love Disney and like to enjoy Disney parks all over the world. Most recently, he was able to visit Disneyland in Paris using credit card points, and it was more affordable than a trip to Orlando. * Each provider has its own rewards system with different names, but ‘points’ is a good general blanket term. They’re all similar but have their own benefits and disadvantages. + There are some with no annual fees, whereas others range between $95-$650 depending on the card. + Think about the annual fee the same way you would a subscription. An annual fee is not a bad thing, as long as you’re planning for it, and find value in the rewards offered. + You can ask for the annual fee to be lowered or waived when it comes time to pay again. It never hurts to ask, and if they say no, downgrading to a card with no fee is usually an option.
How to earn points:
- Sign-up bonuses are a great opportunity. A company will offer points if you spend a certain amount of money in a scheduled timeframe. If this amount is within your planned variable spending limits or money you’ve already planned for, this is a great way to earn points!
- Once you’ve signed up for cards, check for points multipliers. These are categories (gas, restaurants, groceries) that when you spend within them, more points are earned. Choosing multipliers in categories you regularly spend in is a great way to earn extra points.
- You will earn points by just using your credit cards for regular spending.
- If you plan to make a bigger purchase, save that money into a sinking fund, make the purchase on your credit card to get the points, and then pay off the balance.
Favorites at The Financial Gym
- Garrett recommends Chase and American Express for their rewards cards.
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a favorite among Trainers at The Gym. Even with the $95 annual fee, it’s one of the most popular cards.
- Check out the BFF Approved Credit Card here
In addition to using points for travel, other tips for traveling on a budget:
- Start early and do lots of research. There are deals out there, and the earlier you start planning, the more deals you can find.
- Subscribe to newsletters to stay on top of deals.
- Get creative about what traveling looks like. It doesn’t always have to be a flight to a faraway destination. Consider road trips, camping, or getting an AirBnB in a new place to unplug and recharge.
- House sitting/pet sitting is a great way you can explore while getting paid!
Things to keep in mind
- In terms of actual value, where you redeem those points matters! You may get a better return to use your points on things like travel, rather than opting for the cashback.
- If you plan to use a credit card for a big purchase in order to score some points, make sure the money is already saved.
- The most important thing to remember when using credit cards is to ‘know thyself'. If you’ve struggled with credit cards in the past, or struggle to stick with a budget, these strategies might not be a great fit for you right now.
- Opening new cards will affect your credit, so be mindful of credit pulls if you’re planning to apply for a loan soon.
- If you plan to start using credit cards, create a system that works for you and stay organized. You can get into this casually, or truly go all out and put in a lot of work.
Resources Mentioned in the Episode: Awardhacker.com - A free product made to help people find the best award flights without being an expert in every airline mileage program.
Hopper - An app for finding deals on travel
BFF Approved Travel Credit Cards
If you want to learn more about travel hacking, and if it would be a good fit for your goals, a Certified Financial Trainer can help make it part of the plan!
Find out more about working with a Certified Financial Trainer here:
Financial Accountability Coaching & Trainer on Demand
Meet The Trainers Meet Bevin Morgan, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Garrett Faulconer, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Jazmin, a Certified Level 2 Financial Trainer based in California. Today, she is joined by Carlos and Yuni Garcia. Carlos is a Licensed Real Estate Agent in California and works together with his wife, Yuni.
When you’re ready to buy or sell a home, choosing the right real estate agent can make all the difference, especially in a competitive market. Carlos and Yuni are here to share their insights about what the home buying experience should look like and red flags to keep in mind when interviewing prospective agents.
Podcast Notes * What does a real estate agent do, and when should someone work with one?
- It is a real estate agent’s job to represent buyers and sellers with honesty and integrity. You can work with one when you’re buying or selling a home.
- In these competitive times, a great agent can make all the difference. They are out there every day and know the ins and outs of the market.
- They can provide a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) - a tool used to estimate the value of a specific property by evaluating similar ones that have recently sold in the area.
- Each buyer and level of purchase is different. Everyone has their own background, goals, needs, and limits when it comes to purchasing a home.
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A great agent will guide you through the process and make it fun because they are experts in the field.
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Qualities of a GREAT real estate agent:
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From the beginning of the process, they are timely and communicative. Great communication is important. They should make themselves available.
- They take the time to answer your questions and share valuable information. It’s an educational process, and they should be willing to teach you along the way.
- Someone who checks your references and makes sure you will be a good fit for them.
- Someone who has credentials and experience in the field. Some questions to ask:
- ‘How long have you been in the business?’
- ‘How many sales have you made?’
- ‘Are you a top producer?’
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‘Are your offers being swiftly accepted?’
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A great negotiator. Someone who will work to get you the best deal.
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A person who will be straightforward and with you through the process. Their goal should be to get you into a home that you can truly afford in an area you want to live in.
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What are some RED FLAGS to watch out for when interviewing real estate agents?
- As with every industry, there are predatory people in the real estate business.
- An unresponsive agent can stall the process when it’s time to put in offers. Watch out for someone who is unresponsive, or lacks timely communication.
- A lack of professionalism, for example, arriving late or unprepared for meetings or showings.
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Never surrender your deposit to people who are promising to give you a deal. That will ALWAYS go through escrow.
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Why do some people look to sell their homes?
- The last two years, there has been a desire to upsize. People working from home or realizing they would like a little more space.
- Some folks want to downsize, or move to a different area.
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Folks looking to invest in their long term future, and want to do so through real estate.
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General best practices when preparing to buy a home:
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Make a plan. There are many steps to ensure you’re ready before starting the home buying process!
- Your FICO score will determine the loans available to you. Aim to raise your score if it needs work.
- Focus on your debt to income ratio.
- Fund the emergency fund.
- Save for the down payment (anywhere between 5%-25%)
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Practice making the mortgage payments and deposit that money into a savings account.
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Get your pre-approval before getting in touch with real estate agents.
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Have your documents prepared: 2 years of tax returns, paystubs or a letter from your accountant, and bank statements are a great place to start.
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Do the research, use the internet and references from friends,
- Always get a second option. This goes for lenders and real estate agents. It is a huge disservice to yourself to only get one opinion.
- Work with a local, licensed agent, rather than one of the big platforms.
- Remember, buying a home should be fun!
More on Home Buying & Home Ownership: Gymsplaining Mortgages and Refinancing Buying a House Connect with Carlos and Yuni Instagram: @0carlos0
Facebook: Facebook.com/carlosgarcia
Meet The Trainer Meet Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
You can become a Certified Financial Trainer, and build your own Financial Coaching Business! To learn more about The CFT School, follow this link:
Financial Trainer Certification
Today’s episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, is all about medical bills. Even with insurance, the health care system can be confusing to navigate. Catriona Williams, a Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, is joined by Financial Gym client Anne Weigand. Anne is here to share her journey with medical bills, tips for navigating the space, and ways you can advocate for yourself while trying to seek medical care.
Podcast Notes * Needing medical care is part of life, but in America, there is a lot of uncertainty when it comes to paying for it. With an endometriosis diagnosis, Anne has first-hand experience with the medical billing system and has been advocating for herself for the last few years. * It started in 2019 when she had a job that provided health insurance. She found a doctor in her network and scheduled an annual checkup, as preventative checks and routine care were supposed to be covered by the insurance. She even called the doctor’s office before the appointment to confirm the visit would be paid for by them. A few weeks later, she received a $300 bill from the visit. * This led to months of back and forth with the billing department at that office. The bill felt rude and was a shock and a bummer, as it was unexpected. She was told the first meeting with a physician isn’t technically ‘routine’ which is why it was not covered by her insurance. After four months, the billing manager refused to speak with her, and this caused a lot of frustration, as she did not want this bill to end up in collections. Anne was not trying to get out of paying it, she just wanted to understand why she got a bill at all when she was told her insurance would cover the visit. * Shortly after, Anne was experiencing issues and got progressively more ill. After doing some of her own research, she saw a women’s wellness doctor but didn’t feel like she was being heard and wanted a second opinion. She wanted to establish care with someone else who could validate her concerns and answer her questions. * Anne was diagnosed with endometriosis and started working with a specialist in late 2019 and into early 2020. This specialist was able to use an MRI to help Anne understand what was happening with her body, before moving forward with surgery. * She was able to schedule the surgery for June of 2020. Even though endometriosis affects other organs and overall health, the surgery is considered elective, so she wasn’t able to have the procedure before then due to covid.
When planning medical care:
- Make a plan going in if you can! Sometimes medical issues are sudden and you don’t have time to plan beforehand.
- Understand your insurance policy and find providers in your network.
- Know the details of your plan. There are things like deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums to keep in mind and ask questions if you’re unsure. Putting in the extra time will help in the long run.
- Call the doctor beforehand and ask about the price. Let them know if it’s out of your budget. They may be able to be flexible, and it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Understanding how medical bills work:
- When you go to the doctor, they send a bill to your insurance. That bill has a code on it that tells your insurance company what was done with the doctor, so they know what needs to be paid for.
- If you are seeing a specialist regularly, learn the billing codes. It will help when sorting through the bills, which can sometimes come months later.
- Even if you went to one hospital, bills can come from different places. It’s always good to ask, ‘Who can I expect a bill from?’
- It can sometimes take months for bills to be processed through insurance and sent out.
When a bill arrives:
- Do not pay the bill in full without questioning it. Question everything!
- Always call and confirm the bill is correct. Ask them to go line by line with you and explain the charges in detail.
- There could be an error with the bill or an incorrect code.
- There may have been a lapse in insurance, and the bill wasn’t sent to the new insurer.
- Some hospitals have financial assistance. Apply if it is available. Even if it is denied, there may be other actions that can be taken from there. Anne emailed the CEO directly, and they were able to help her.
- If you are working with a billing department, take notes and keep a record of all of the conversations. Email yourself a thread so you have detailed records of the conversation.
- Try to be patient and kind with the people on the phone, they’re more likely to be helpful.
- When you’re sick or recovering, it can feel like the last thing you want to do, but it is important. At the end of the day, you have to advocate for yourself. There are always options out there, be brave, and ask for help if you need it!
Resources for Endometriosis
Nancy’s Nook Facebook Group
Illustrated story about Endometriosis
Connect with Anne Weigand Instagram: @anneweigandofficial
Meet The Trainer Meet Catriona, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Bevin Morgan, a Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, and she is joined by one of her clients, Stephanie Arteaga. Today’s conversation is a fun chat all about side hustles. Stephanie has years of experience running a robust side business and is here to share her tips about how to manage one, the realistic expectations, and how not to get caught up in the process.
Podcast Notes * Stephanie started on eBay over ten years ago and now sells items there and on Mercari. Each platform has its own advantages and disadvantages. * She does this in addition to her full-time job, and that is by design. Her goal isn’t to replace her regular income, but to make additional money on the side. * It started back in 2009 out of necessity. She didn’t want to get another part-time job but wanted to make money. She did some research and decided to start selling things online. * There is a buyer out there for everything and whole communities surrounding certain types of items. You can get started with the things in your house. * Be honest with yourself about what is actually worth selling. If you think something is trash, don’t try to sell it. Having a good reputation is valuable and gives you credibility in the long run. * Selling on an online platform takes time. Stephanie treats it as a part-time job. You have to commit to taking photos, posting, shipping, and following through. * Create a schedule that works for you. It is easy to get caught up in the rush of selling and let it consume your whole day. Be mindful of your time and set boundaries. * There are a lot of great videos and guides online, but creating a system that works for you is the key to success. * The total sales is not the amount of money going into your pocket. There are other costs to consider such as your time, shipping, fees, paper, boxes, and labels.
+ When running a side business, remember it is a business. There will be taxes owed on your profit.
+ Keep track of your expenses, and keep track of your revenue (the total amount of money coming in) and the profit (the total amount of money made).
- You don’t have to quit your job and do this full-time to make money. A great system will allow your side business to thrive.
Links from Stephanie for getting started:
- https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/selling-fees?id=4822
- https://export.ebay.com/en/marketing/analytics/top-selling-categories/
- https://www.bustle.com/life/how-much-is-90s-memorabilia-worth-heres-what-your-old-stuff-could-score-you-on-ebay-2896336
- https://www.mercari.com/us/help_center/article/169/
- https://www.mercari.com/us/help_center/article/525/
Connect with Stephanie Arteaga On Ebay: https://ebay.com/usr/stepha2*sell
Meet The Trainer Meet Bevin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, three of our Certified Financial Trainers, Garrett, Jazmin, and Danielle sit down to talk about mortgages and refinancing.
Podcast Notes * When it comes to applying for a mortgage or refinancing the one you already have, there are many factors to consider. * Your first home does not have to be your forever home. * When saving for a home, keep in mind that things will go wrong. It is inevitable. * Go in with a plan. You’ll want to save for the down payment, closing costs, and extra contingency.
Getting Pre-Approval
- Having the pre-approval before you start the process of looking for a home will give you more power. It makes your offer stronger.
- You’ll likely need W2’s, (or a letter from your tax preparer if you’re a freelancer), 2 years of tax returns, and certain bank statements. Get these things in order ahead of time.
The Down Payment
- You don’t have to put 20% down in order to apply for a loan. There are First TIme Home Buyers programs that allow you to put down as little as 3.5%.
- If you do have a down payment of less than 20%, private mortgage insurance (PMI) will be required.
What to look for in a lender:
- Always do your research and talk to a few different lenders.
- These are big numbers, working with someone who makes you comfortable and takes the time to answer questions is important.
- You can shop around for different interest rates, and negotiate with the lenders.
Refinancing Your Mortgage
- You could
- knock out the PMI, if you have more equity now
- lower the monthly payment and/or interest
- change the length of time on the loan
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free up money with a cash out refinancing
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You will pay closing costs again when refinancing
- When considering if it’s worth it, do the math, reflect on what your goals are for the property, and the best way to achieve them.
- A Mortgage & Refinancing Calculator can help you figure out if refinancing is a good option for you!
Meet The Trainers Meet Garrett, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Jazmin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Danielle, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Hector and Garrett, are talking all about Cryptocurrency!
In June of 2021, Hector and Garrett did an episode all about Bitcoin, and since then, it has only become more mainstream and part of the personal finance conversation. Listen to Cryptocurrency Decrypted Part 1 here!
Podcast Notes * Cryptocurrency is not new and is not going away any time soon. Even though it’s been around and is gaining more popularity, there is still apprehension around it. * There are two ways to look at it; either as a currency, or as an investment. If you are using it to make purchases, that’s a currency. If you are planning on buying it and holding on to it, that’s an investment. * Cryptocurrency is much more volatile than traditional investments. It trades 24/7 and is going up and down constantly. One person’s tweet can massively swing where this can go. If people are making money on it, it will be in the news. * When you are looking to invest, know what you are investing in. Don’t get caught up in FOMO and always do your research, or talk to a professional! * Think about crypto as a long-term investment. Put the money away, and be comfortable knowing it will go up and down. Only invest money you are comfortable losing. * More big players in the game are beginning to accept cryptocurrency, Starbucks, Tesla, AirBnB, Stripe, and other payment processing platforms. * Coinbase is a great place to get started. It covers all of the major players for buying and selling crypto.
Before getting started in crypto, make sure your personal finance foundation is solid:
-
- Ensure any high-interest debt is paid off
- Have an emergency fund in place
- Make sure retirement contributions are taken care of
-
Sit down with a pen and paper and determine what amount is right for you. How much can you afford to invest and are you comfortable with that level of risk?
- The 5% rule is a good rule of thumb. Keep your crypto investments to 5% or less of your investment portfolio, to ensure diversity among investments.
- Gary Gensler is a major voice in the crypto space. His YouTube video is a great place to get started if you want to learn more: Watch Gary Gensler’s Introduction to Crypto
Listen to Cryptocurrency Decrypted Part 1
Meet The TrainersMeet Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, Garrett Faulconer Meet Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, Hector Lopez
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Bevin Morgan, a Lexington-based Financial Trainer, is joined by Raquel Carter. Raquel is a Principal Broker, Realtor, and Independent Brokerage Owner. Guide Realty has been around for 14 years and is the largest Black-owned real estate company in Kentucky. Today, Bevin and Raquel will be talking about how real estate works and things you should be thinking about when getting ready to buy a house.
Podcast Notes * Raquel has been working in real estate for 20 years. Her mom worked in the industry and encouraged her to get involved! * There are many benefits to working in real estate. Where there are structures and limits in the corporate world, there’s more control over opportunity and growth when working in real estate. You work as an independent contractor, which Raquel loves. * She frames selling houses as a service for people. She thinks of it as mothering folks through something they have to do anyway. * Contract to closing is not always a direct line: + Sometimes deals are smooth, sometimes they’re a roller coaster. + You don’t know what you don’t know until you’re in it, which is why a professional can bring value.
Buying a home for the first time, some things to keep in mind:
- Your first home doesn’t have to be your forever home.
- You don’t always have to have 20% down to purchase a home. There are programs and loans out there for first-time home buyers that are more flexible.
- At this point in time, with the extremely competitive market, you want more cash.
- Credit score is incredibly important. A higher credit score will help give you the best opportunities.
- Start taking those first steps. Remember that buying a house can take time. There are no quick fixes. You want to come at it from a place of power.
Real Estate as an investment
- If you want to invest in real estate, the best place to start is to become a homeowner. This shows stability to lenders and the rates for financing for a personal residence are generally better than an investment property.
- Not everyone is cut out to be a landlord, and that’s okay! You don’t have to in order to invest in real estate.
- Property will continue to go up in value. The bare minimum required is taking care of the property and you can always make improvements. Pay attention to the trends happening.
Final Thoughts
- Get your approval first. This gives you greater negotiating power. Going in without knowing the budget is like going to the mall without knowing how much money is in your checking account,
- You’ll need two years of tax returns, be aware of your credit score, debt to income ratio, and make a plan.
- Working on getting your finances and goals in order are the things you can do while saving up and thinking about that first home.
- There are variables out of our control, especially right now. The market is intense and Raquel doesn’t see that changing in the short term.
- Home ownership is a fantastic way to add to your asset portfolio, build wealth, and progress further towards your goals.
Connect with Raquel at Guide Realty www.guide-realty.com
Facebook: @GuideRealty
Instagram: @guiderealty
#guidingyouhome
Meet The Trainer Meet Bevin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Bevin Morgan is joined by Laura Clay and Ali Clark from I Grew Strong to talk about a sensitive and incredibly important topic: financial abuse.
Today, they start by defining financial abuse and discussing the different forms it can take. They also talk about tools to help yourself, friends, or loved ones who may be experiencing financial trauma or abuse. Podcast Notes What is financial abuse?
- Every circumstance is different. Some examples include having to get permission to spend money, only being given a small allowance, not having your name on any bills, being told to stay at home, or having a lack of choice or freedom around finances.
- People often will experience low confidence, self-doubt, or feel fear and shame.
- Isolation and dependency are created. It’s all about control.
- Sometimes the signs are subtle or the actions aren’t completely conscious. You may have felt like you started on the same page, but the dynamic has shifted.
- It can look like a partner getting angry or giving the silent treatment.
- I Grew Strong focuses on empowering clients. They work to help people make decisions and use resources to get the help they need.
How do I know if I’m living with a narcissist or struggling with financial abuse?
- There may be signs of gaslighting, stonewalling, or confusion. The first step is paying close attention to your emotional reactions while interacting with this person.
How can we help empower our loved ones if they are struggling with financial abuse?
- Have blunt and tough conversations with your loved ones. Let them know you love and support them, but warn them of the danger. From there, help them by providing tools and empowering them to make their own choices.
- We can’t control other people. We can only provide tools, help our loved ones know their rights, and set boundaries. You can help them look for a child advocate or other professionals who can provide support in delicate circumstances.
- It can help to ask, ‘what would you tell a friend or daughter to do if they were in this position?’
- Encourage them to imagine what they want their future to look like. Even if it’s hard to really picture it. From there, think about what can be done today to get one step closer to that future.
If you’re with a partner or spouse who has experienced financial abuse in the past, how can you work on it together now?
- Get to the root and find the real story. Whether it is over-spending, over-saving, or financial anxiety, explore where the feelings are coming from. That is the best place to start.
- Have deep conversations and find common ground. Create a vision for the future that addresses the fears and anxieties, so each partner feels taken care of and secure.
Final Thoughts
- We can only control our own stories and our own choices. We cannot control other people and how they will react. What power and control do you have? What choices can you make right now?
- People are more powerful than they know.
- There is help out there, reach out to a family member, or professional like an expert from I Grew Strong.
Connect with I Grew Strong https://igrewstrong.com/
Meet The Trainer Meet Bevin Morgan, Lever 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Homeownership is a goal we see a lot with our clients, but how do you know if it is for you! On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, three of our Certified Financial Trainers, Bevin, Jazmin, and Danielle sit down to talk about buying a home. Since all of them have been on various home buying journeys, they share their experiences and what they’ve learned along the way. They talk about the benefits of owning a home, the costs associated that aren’t always obvious, and how to be prepared for it all.
Podcast Notes
- Everyone shares a little bit about their personal home ownership journeys to start the conversation.
- Jazmin talks about purchasing the home she had been renting.
- Danielle tells us about finding her forever home in Atlanta
-
Bevin went from owning multiple properties to now being in the process of selling them.
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Is it better to rent or purchase a home? There is no right answer. It truly depends on your finances, your goals, and what’s important to you!
- Do you plan to live in a place for a long time?
- Can you afford a down payment?
- Can you afford to maintain a home? Repairs and replacements can be expensive.
- Do you want to maintain a home? Do you have the time, energy, or physical capability to do so? Renting allows these things to be taken care of by someone else and are included in the cost of rent.
What are some benefits to home ownership?
- If you know you want to live somewhere long term, owning a home offers a certain stability. You can create a safe space and make it truly your own.
- There’s peace of mind knowing a landlord won’t kick you out or sell the place with short notice.
What are some unexpected costs associated with home ownership?
- Repairs can be expensive. Even with inspections, things can be missed. They almost always happen within the first year, but will definitely happen at some point.
- If you refinance a mortgage, closing costs must be paid again.
- While a landlord won’t raise your rent, taxes can change and increase the monthly financial commitment.
- Your first purchase does not have to be your dream home!
- Housing costs have exploded the last few years. If you plan to buy a home, take your time and really do the research!
- If you are planning to buy a home and want a Certified Financial Trainer to make sure you’ve planned for it all, check out our newest service, Trainer-on-Demand!
Meet The Trainers Meet Bevin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Danielle, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Jazmin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Catriona Williams, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer. Joining her is the Founder and President of Brass Taxes, a company that specializes in working with freelancers, artists, and other nice people. Today, Catriona and Rus sit down and talk all about how he started doing taxes, the history of Enrolled Agents, what the heck a ‘write-off’ is, and his biggest pieces of advice for self-employed folks to be prepared for tax time.
Podcast Notes * Rus was working as a writer and editor in New York for many years. In 2008, he needed to find a day job and started working for his friend’s dad doing taxes. He realized very quickly that he had been doing his own taxes badly for years, and his friends probably were too! + What started as Rus doing taxes on the side for his friends has transformed into Brass Taxes. They now have a team of creative professionals all trained to be amazing tax advisors. + He wanted to create the company that he wished existed when he was working as a freelancer. + Rus is an Enrolled Agent, which is different from a CPA. The EA designation dates all the way back to The Civil War!
- There is a lot of value in having a conversation with someone who understands your industry. You should feel comfortable talking to them, asking questions, and feel confident they understand your day to day.
- Tax laws are always changing and so are your personal finances. It’s not worth teaching yourself how to do taxes every year.
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Taxes are like a video game. Brass Taxes advisors play the game 300 times a year whereas most people doing it themselves just play it once. An advisor knows the rules and nuances to get the best result.
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Dealing with taxes is a lot of bad branding and graphic design. It’s hard to know what’s important when you look at the forms. Brass Taxes advisors specialize in talking about taxes in plain language. They let you know what’s important and what you don’t need to worry about.
- When you’re an employee at a company, you get a paycheck and the employer withholds taxes for you. Filing at the end of the year is pretty straightforward. If you’re a freelancer, have a side hustle, or make untaxed income, it becomes more nuanced.
- As soon as you’re paid money without taxes withheld, poof! You’re a business! You don’t need a formal structure like an LLC or DBA to be a business.
- As a business, you are only required to pay taxes on the profit: All income (the money that comes in) - expenses (the money you spend to run the business) .
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Any money spent that is ‘reasonable’ and ‘necessary’ to run your business can be considered a business expense. This is a fluid line and varies depending on your line of work. You can choose to be more aggressive or conservative with your position.
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You don’t need a ‘business’ bank account, but keeping your business spending separate from your personal spending will make your life much easier. It can be a designated credit card or separate checking account, whatever works for you!
- Brass Taxes works with freelancers, creative professionals, and nice people who want to understand more about their taxes!
- They’re also working on different options to work with their clients all year round including monthly memberships. It will come with an automated expense tracker and consultations throughout the year!
- If you want to work with Brass Taxes this year, use code FinGym50 for $5o off the price of your first return.
TWO THINGS RUS WANTS EVERYONE TO REMEMBER
- Keep track of your expenses during the year
- Know how much you will owe at tax time, and have the money saved!
Connect with Brass Taxes Website: brasstaxes.com
Email: info@brasstaxes.com
Instagram: @brass_taxes
Check out the FAQ
If you want to work with Brass Taxes this year, use code FinGym50 for $5o off the price of your first return.
Meet The Trainer Meet Catriona, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Sara Belhouari, a Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer based in New York. She is joined by Jessica and Ryan, a married couple who have been her clients since February 2020. Today, they are talking about the importance of showing up for yourself and being open to change. Jessica and Ryan share with us how The Gym has positively changed their lives and why they plan to stay members long into the future. Podcast Notes * When Jessica and Ryan first heard about The Gym, they weren’t sure about joining, but now feel like it was the best decision they ever made. * They found Financial Gym truly makes financial literacy accessible to everyone. Many of the trainers have had their own money journeys or were clients of The Gym themselves. * Jessica and Ryan’s first session was scheduled on leap day (Feb 29, 2020). They met in person and Jessica was really emotional the entire train ride from New Jersey. When they arrived at The Gym, she felt relaxed. The space didn’t feel clinical or scary, it was a cool environment she wanted to be in. * Jessica and Ryan were paired with Sara and it was a perfect match. They felt comfortable with her immediately and were able to put everything on the table, emotions and all. * At the time, she felt like she had no control. The first few sessions brought a lot of relief and motivation to move forward. * The outside perspective of a Financial Trainer is so valuable. If the financial journey is a road trip, your Trainer is the GPS guiding the way and you are in the driver's seat.
- Since joining The Financial Gym, Jessica and Ryan have made incredible progress!
- Their savings have grown 200%
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They’ve paid off most of their debt
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In addition, and just as importantly as the numbers, their feelings around money have transformed. Mindset is a huge part of the financial journey.
-
Jessica talks about how as a perfectionist, being open to other perspectives was a challenge for her. She had to be willing to do things differently.
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People often ask, ‘how long should I stay a client at The Gym?’
- A personal finance journey does not happen overnight. Change is created by showing up, being committed, and doing the work. If you set goals and stay consistent, you will achieve them.
- Stay with The Gym as long as you’re finding value in the service. If the meetings and accountability keep you motivated, stay forever. If you are more self-motivated, three months of membership might be the perfect fit! It all depends on you and your needs.
- Jessica and Ryan have been clients for a long time and share why they love working with Sara!
- Since starting with The Gym, they have had constant positive progress. Some wins are small, some are big, but they’re always moving forward.
- They like knowing someone is there to help them plan, no matter what comes up.
- They’ve built a strong relationship over time with Sara who has a deep understanding of them and their goals. She’s a household name! Trainers really are your Best Financial Friends.
- When they first started, it was about getting out of survival mode and to a place where they can live their best lives. There's security now there wasn’t two years ago.
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They are proud of their money story and love to share it with others. Jessica never pushes money management or The Gym on people, but she is always happy to share when people are ready to hear it.
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Advice for folks who are thinking about working with The Gym?
- You have to be open, ready, and willing to commit.
- Be honest with yourself and your Trainer. There is nothing to be gained by editing the truth.
- If you aren’t connecting with your Trainer, be brave to ask for what you need. Each trainer has their own unique style and wanting to switch is not personal.
- Showing up to see your Trainer is showing up for yourself.
Meet The Trainer Meet Sara Belhouari, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
In addition to working with individual clients, The Financial Gym provides a number of services to companies and membership organizations of all sizes. These can include webinars, engaging online courses, and a new service called Trainer on Demand. To talk about how these services can benefit employees, our host is Sue, a member of The Gym’s Business Development Team. Joining her today is Conor, the Learning and Development Manager at Justworks, to talk about the evolution of employee benefits and how Financial Training has had a positive impact on their team.
Podcast Notes * In 2021, Justworks launched ‘Just Be Well,’ which focuses on four aspects of employee health for the Justworks team. They want employees to be healthy, happy and engaged so they can continue to grow with Justworks. * There are four areas of focus with Just Be well: mental health, physical health, healthy work habits, and social well-being. * The Financial Gym benefits fall under the social well-being category. It started with Finance Fridays and webinars and expanded to include Trainer-on-Demand this fall. * Employees can turn to The Financial Gym Trainers for answers to questions without worrying about feeling judgment or shame. They can talk about navigating a budget, student loans, saving, or any other financial-related questions. * Conor personally finds a lot of value in the service. There are little ‘aha’ moments while talking through finances with a Certified Trainer. * Employee wellness is critical in running a successful business. Thinking about money and budgeting can be stressful. Having a trainer to work through questions with is an amazing employee perk. The goal is to empower people and give them the tools to be successful financially. * For people looking for work, employee benefits are a huge aspect of a compensation package. Financial Wellness is only going to become more important over the next few years and helping employees in this part of their life can be transformative. Employee benefits are changing and evolving and will continue to in the next few years. * If you’re interested in learning more about what benefits The Gym can offer your employees, you can learn more here or get in touch with Sue directly!
+ sue@fingyms.com or enterprise@fingyms.com
Check out JustWorks - HR for Businesses WEBSITE: justworks.com
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Genar Medez, a Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer based in Los Angeles. He is joined by Bob DePasquale, author of Personal Finance in a Public World: How Technology, Social Media, and Ads Affect Your Money Decisions. Bob is a Certified Financial Planner with ten years of experience and is dedicated to the empowerment of others through financial literacy. Today, Genar and Bob talk about how our relationship with money dictates all other relationships in life and how technology is intertwined in it all.
Podcast Notes * Bob’s personal finance journey started with a recruiter at his wife’s job. Bob’s mom worked in a bank when he was a kid and taught him the basics. * He loves working in personal finance because we all have to manage our finances, no matter how much money we have. It’s important for everyone to have an understanding of what finance means in our personal lives. * Money is a tool in our lives and we all have a relationship with it. Good habits promote a more positive relationship! Challenging times can bring challenging emotions. When good habits are in place, these times are easier to navigate. * Bob’s book talks about the importance of building habits. With so much going on, people are making a lot of decisions these days. Develop habits that don’t require a lot of brainpower to execute. Make decisions about your savings and debt in advance and use technology/automation to make your life easier. * Bad decisions happen when you’re mentally exhausted. Spend energy on big decisions and simplify everything else. * How has technology and Social Media impacted our relationship with money and our overall personal well being? Technology is an inherent part of many people’s lives. It is hard to avoid technology altogether. + Tech thinks like we do. We used to only see ads when companies had a big budget for ads. That is much different now. + You can use technology as a positive force in your life. + Figure out what brings you fulfillment and joy and ensure there is money allocated for those things. These should take priority in your budget.
Looking ahead to the future:
- Technology makes things easier, but also more complicated. It’s important to understand the systems and prepare for what’s ahead.
- There are new technologies out there designed to decentralize finance. It is a new system and will continue to grow. Bob thinks of these new concepts as a new way to understand how money works. Before learning about the new systems, an understanding of the current system is required first.
- Once you want to learn about the new systems, start with learning about Blockchain and Crypto. Bob recommends investopedia.com as a great place to get started.
- Bob shares an incredible story about his background and why he dedicates his life to serving other people.
Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
Atomic Habits, book by James Clear
Connect with Bob DePasquale Websites: bobdepasquale.com & initiateimpact.com
Instagram: @bdepa
Twitter: @bdepa
LinkedIn: Bob DePasquale, CFP®CAP®
Bob’s Book: Personal Finance in a Public World: How Technology, Social Media, and Ads Affect Your Money Decisions
Meet The Trainer Meet Genar Mendez - Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Certified Financial Trainers are discussing consolidation loans. If you have less than $10k in debt, one option is balance transfer cards. For debt greater than $10k, consolidation loans are a better option. Kadri and Mike are co-hosting today to talk through what consolidation loans are, how to address underlying issues before taking one out, and best practices to help you stay focused on the debt payoff journey. Podcast Notes * If you have more than $10,000 in debt, loan consolidation can be a great option. * It is a personal loan that is used to pay off all of your balances. Instead of managing 5-6 different debts at high interest rates, you can focus on the single loan. It makes for more seamless debt management and more stable interest rates. * One of the most important steps is to address the underlying reasons for the debt. Reflect and be honest with yourself. + Are you living above your means? Was there a big expense you had to take care of? It is a mix of everything? Life happens, give yourself grace, but don’t ignore the reality.
- Since the personal loan will open all your other lines of credit, not using those cards, or digging yourself deeper into the hole, is vital.
- Loan consolidation is a tool and you have to put in the work to use it wisely.
- Take the time to look at all of the different options and really understand the lending contract before signing.
- A higher credit score will give you more availability when choosing a loan.
- If you continue to make payments and live within your means while paying off the loan, your credit score will likely jump. This is because when the credit lines are open, overall utilization is lowered, which helps increase your credit score.
- More options will become available as your credit score goes up. Debt payoff can take many years, and more progress opens up more options.
- If you apply for a loan and the interest rate is higher than what you’re already paying, loan consolidation might not be the best fit.
- Be realistic about what monthly payment is going to work for you.
- Be sure to save money while working on the debt. It is impossible to break out of the debt cycle if you are not saving at the same time.
- Money is emotional, there is often shame attached to debt. Have compassion for yourself, the past is in the past. Feel empowered by your mistakes because they give you the opportunity to make a change.
- If you need more help with navigating your debt options, check out the new Trainer on Demand program!
- If you are looking to consolidate debt, check out the B.F.F. Approved Personal Loan Page.
Meet The Trainer Meet Kadri, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Mike, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer and Head of Trainer on Demand
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Kadri Augustin, a Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer based out of New York and he is joined by Tony Hoong, founder of The CPA Dude! Today, they’re talking about how The CPA Dude got started and some general tips and things to think about as tax season approaches and as you plan for 2022 and beyond. Podcast Notes * When Tony was young, he learned a lot about taxes from his mom who ran a restaurant. From payroll tax, to income tax and beyond, Tony’s journey was launched there with her. * His first day job allowed him to learn a lot about the tax codes in all fifty states and he eventually worked at Uber in their tax department. While he was working, he was always answering questions from his friends and family. * The CPA Dude branding was his girlfriend’s idea! She’s behind the name, brand, and logo. In 2019, he made the move from helping friends to expanding to the public. In 2021, The CPA Dude became his full-time work. * Kadri and Tony talk about changes and events from the last few years. From the 2018 Sweeping change to pandemic assistance. Things have been constantly moving. * Kadri asks why there is so much pressure on the individual taxpayer to show their numbers and figure out how much is owed. * If you don’t file a tax return, the IRS is going to auto-assess and file one for you, running it with the worst possible results. If you’re due a refund, you only have a few years to claim it, so it’s important to file and take advantage of all of the credits and deductions available to you.
WORKING WITH THE CPA DUDE
- Quick communication is one of the core values at The CPA Dude. There’s nothing more discouraging than reaching out to your CPA or accountant and not hearing back.
- The team at The CPA Dude is made of both staff members and licensed CPA’s.
- The platform comes with an app and secure portal and app so you can communicate in a text style securely.
- A staff member will meet with you and prepare the return. Returns are then reviewed by the licensed CPAs before being filed.
GENERAL THOUGHTS
- Tax planning should be part of your regular financial planning. Make the assessment regularly, where am I now and where do I want to be?
- Between the tax reforms and new interest in crypto, there have been a lot of under withholdings the last few years, resulting in surprise tax bills.
- Contributing to your retirement accounts can be a way to reduce tax liability and you can contribute up until the filing deadline.
- If you are a freelancer, sole proprietor, or 1099 contractor, you can reduce your taxable income with business expenses.
- File your taxes early this year. The IRS is understaffed and underfunded. They’re currently behind on processing 6 million returns from last year, so delays are to be expected.
- If you’re waiting for a refund, check out the IRS tracker tool. You can also call, but it can be difficult to get through.
- If you get scary letters from the IRS, don’t panic. Even if you’ve taken the correct steps, sometimes the delay means they haven’t processed your response but their automated letters still go out.
If you want to work with The CPA Dude team, head to their website.
Financial Gym members and Financially Naked Listeners get 10% off
Connect with Tony and his team at The CPA Dude https://thecpadude.com/ Meet The TrainerMeet Kadri, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
For the first time ever, The Financial Gym is offering a certification program for non- Financial Gym employees to become a Certified Financial Trainer. On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, three of our Certified Financial Trainers, Catriona, Danielle and Sydney are here to talk about the brand new licensing program and what kind of person would make a great Certified Financial Trainer!
Podcast Notes * A Certified Financial trainer takes a ‘fitness style’ approach to clients’ finances. They work with people one-on-one to set goals and provide the financial plan to help them achieve those goals. They’re accountability partners, coaches, and someone to celebrate the wins with! * The new Certified Financial Trainer Program teaches everything you need to know about personal finance and working with clients of all financial shapes and sizes. It encapsulates a lot of information. * There are three different options, all of them require passing the Certification Test to prove your mastery of the material in order to become fully licensed as a Certified Financial Trainer. * The schedule is designed to accommodate busy lives and schedules.
The three tiers of the certification course are:
THE FUN RUN:
- Two weeks of personal finance training,.
- Self-directed materials and videos to keep for your reference
- A Slack Community and office hours with a veteran CFT to ask questions during the course.
HALF MARATHON: Everything included in the Fun Run tier, plus:
- An additional week of business and coaching training (3 weeks total)
- Access to The Financial Gym online courses
- Ongoing access to the Slack Community and office hours with a Team Lead
- Once certified, you will be included on the CFT directory website to help new clients find you
FULL MARATHON: everything included in the Half Marathon tier plus:
- A Level 3 Financial Plan for your business and personal finances from a veteran CFT
- Continuing one-on-one coaching with a veteran CFT
- Additional marketing toolkit and productivity licenses and training for 1 year
- Client leads to start growing your business from day 1.
Who would be a good fit for the Certified Financial Trainer program?
- Someone looking for a career change. If you’re interested in personal finance or have been on your own journey and want to break into the space professionally.
- If you’ve been thinking about adding a financial certification for a while but couldn’t find the right program for the right price.
- If you are already a coach, this can be an additional offering and area of expertise. It can help you find a niche and serve your community.
- If you have a client-facing business, financial coaching can be a great service to add to your offering ( Enrolled Agents, CPA’s, or other financial professionals wanting to expand their current scope.)
- What are some personality traits of a great Financial Trainer?
- Empathy and magic are really important. Being able to have open-minded conversations.
- There is a lot of emotion surrounding money and the space needs to be a judgment-free zone. Being an active listener, allowing the clients to release their shame, and meeting them where they are.
- Someone who is understanding makes a great Financial Trainer. If you’ve been on your own personal finance journey, you have the understanding and empathy to help others on theirs.
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This is a great program for so many different kinds of people. Personal finance is so personal and everyone can bring their own unique backgrounds and touch to the job.
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The number one goal at the Financial Gym is to bring financial knowledge to as many people as possible. This program is one way we’re doing so in 2022!
- If you want to learn more about becoming a Certified Financial Trainer, head to the Financial Trainer Certification page to learn more today!
Meet The Trainers Meet Catriona Williams, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer & Podcast Producer! Meet Danielle Thomas, Level 2 Certified Financial TrainerMeet Sydney Kobell, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Listen to Sydney’s previous episode: Finances of Freezing Your Eggs
Today’s episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Certified Financial Trainers, Myriam and Kadri, sit down to talk about 8 strategies for paying down debt. Whether it’s consumer debt, student loans, medical debt, personal loans, or some combination of these, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Myriam and Kadri talk about concrete action steps you can take to tackle debt and break the cycle.
Podcast Notes * STOP USING YOUR CARDS - The most important step of getting out of credit card debt is to stop adding more debt. Kadri often talks to his clients about credit card psychology. Using debit cards while on a debt payoff journey will help you reduce spending. When you spend on a credit card, that balance increases. When numbers go up, we get a good feeling. We only have to pay the bill one time at the end of the month, instead of feeling the money leave with each transaction.
It can be a challenge, but here are some tips to make the transition easier:
* + Take them out of your wallet if you can.
+ Forget chasing credit card points - it isn’t worth the interest and the larger minimum payment
+ Unlink cards to convenience apps like Uber and DoorDash
+ - Chase Sapphire Preferred gives you DashPass, the membership program to DoorDash. While this may help you reduce fees, remember that if you are ultimately going to pay interest then any deal can’t offset that!
+ There are cases where you have to use your credit card. Maybe you don’t have an emergency fund and putting something on your cards will be the difference between caring for a sick family member or not.
+ If you truly want to break the cycle, you need to also work towards an emergency fund
* FOCUS ON BUILDING AN EMERGENCY FUND BEFORE AGGRESSIVELY PAYING DOWN DEBT
* + This is the best way to break the debt cycle
+ If you’ve heard the phrase “pay yourself first,” this is an example of that.
+ If you are constantly using your spare cash exclusively towards debt and something major comes up, you’ll have to rely on your credit cards
+ This can take time. Saving money is a grind, and that’s totally okay!
+ Though you won’t earn a ton of interest, it's worth it to build this insurance policy to prevent you from using cards.
+ However, there are still ways to be mindful of the interest you’re paying - one is through the debt avalanche approach.
* THE DEBT AVALANCHE APPROACH
* + Tackle the highest interest debt first. If you have an extra $500 to put somewhere (and your emergency fund is fully funded), use that total amount and put it towards one debt, rather than spreading it across a few. This is mathematically the best way to pay down debt if you’re going to make additional payments.
+ You may not like math, but you can use it to your advantage by paying down your highest interest rate debt first by putting extra money towards it.
+ You can reduce your debt payments even further with a few tools - one I would consider a little tricky, which is debt settlement, and one I would consider more straightforward, which is balance transfer cards and personal loans.
+ - The Snowball Method is another option for paying down debt. Instead of working on the highest interest debt, extra payments are made to the smallest balance debt. This method works well for a lot of people. It comes down to knowing yourself and using whichever method works for you!
* DEBT SETTLEMENT VS. DEBT MANAGEMENT
Debt Settlement
- The pros: you can potentially reduce the amount of money you need to pay for your debts, and you can use the money you were spending on debt minimums to save for your emergency fund or make ends meet.
- The cons: your creditors may not agree with debt settlement, your credit score will likely tank, and you could be charged more debt and fees.
- This is also tricky because you can get in hot water if you choose to not pay your debt obligations to have more bargaining power in the settlement.
- There are other somewhat shady companies that handle the debt settlement process for you. What they provide is nothing that you can’t do yourself. Always be careful and ask a lot of questions when looking into these companies.
- They’ll typically ask you to still make monthly payments that they save on your behalf so they can pay the reduced amount for you later.
Debt Management
- In contrast with debt settlement companies and strategies, there are debt management nonprofits that work with your creditors on your behalf to help lower interest rates, lower fees, and sometimes monthly payments.
- They help you keep your credit from suffering if you’re struggling with your monthly payments and can work with you to create better cash management habits
- It’s important to do your research and ask questions. ‘Nonprofit’ does not mean they have your best interest in mind. At the end of the day, it is a corporate filing.
- They look at your full debt picture. If you have cards open, they require you to shut down your cards, keeping just one open. They have relationships with lenders and will go to them and negotiate the interest on your behalf. Instead of paying the lenders directly, the minimum payment goes to the nonprofit. Programs like this have advantages, but you can also do this on your own, though it takes some time and you might have to make a few rounds of phone calls.
- If you miss a payment, all bets are off. You cannot miss a payment. There is risk there, but that’s pretty much how it goes.
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There are other ways to lower your interest and / or your monthly payments. They are balance transfer cards and personal loans
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BALANCE TRANSFER AND PERSONAL LOANS
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- Balance transfer cards usually offer a 0% or lower APR, and you move the balance from one card onto this new one, giving you more time to pay down the debt.
- While helpful to reduce interest payments, this can enable you to spend more because you now have more available credit.
- Before consolidating, make sure to give yourself some time to get used to a new spending plan that is sustainable for your income. Knowing yourself and your habits is important.
- To find a list of BFF Approved Balance Transfer cards, check out this page!
- Nerdwallet is also a great resource when looking for cards.
- If you already have credit cards, there may be balance transfer options available, so make sure to check those out when you do your research.
- INCREASE YOUR INCOME
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- This can come from getting a promotion, switching jobs, getting a second job, or starting a side hustle (with low to no startup costs).
- Earning more money is something Kadri encourages all of his clients to do. It’s easier said than done, but Trainers see it all the time with their clients. They’ll get a new job with a 40k salary increase or really advocate for themselves and get a raise in their current roles.
- Think about all of your talents, expertise, and get creative when thinking about how you can make more money.
- Once you start making more money, be mindful of lifestyle creep. It’s important to know yourself and have a plan in place.
- Take a look at your expenses and ensure they’re helping you reach your debt repayment goals. When it comes to building wealth, look at both sides: increasing income and reducing expenses is the key.
- REDUCE EXPENSES
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- The first step, add up all of your fixed expenses, including debt minimums.
How much is left over for your variable expenses, savings, and extra debt repayment? - There is a minimum you want to have for your variable expenses, especially in high cost of living areas.
- When Myriam makes financial plans, she aims to have at least $860 per month or $200 per week for variable expenses. The bare minimum for lower cost of living areas is about $530 per month or $125 per week.
- It can feel like a lot of sacrifice. You want to check in with yourself and ensure your physical and mental wellness is being taken care of.
- It’s easier said than done. There is only so much that can be cut.
- Closing the gap between your income and spending is the only way to truly break out of the debt cycle. It is a process and takes time. Be patient and find what works for you.
- The first step, add up all of your fixed expenses, including debt minimums.
- DON’T BE AFRAID TO CONSIDER BANKRUPTCY
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- Bankruptcy gets a bad reputation, but it can be an amazing tool, especially if your debt to income ratio is 50% or above.
- A quick rundown on bankruptcy: it gives you a lot of protection. Your creditors cannot contact you, sue you, put liens on your property or garnish your wages. You can also sometimes be protected from any income tax penalties for the forgiven debt.
- It is a tremendous tool to give yourself a clean slate. Once you have gone through the process, the debt is gone.
- It is a long process and can take months. While bankruptcy does not need to be scary, it should be taken seriously. You can only declare bankruptcy every ten years, so having a plan of action for once the debt is clear is incredibly important!
Martinis and Your Money Episodes about bankruptcy
- Declaring Bankruptcy with Colleen
- Life After Bankruptcy with Natalie Jean Baptiste
From The Financially Free Blog:
- How to File For Bankruptcy
THE BIG TAKEAWAY:
- Stop using your credit cards (if you can, and there are some situations where you temporarily have to)
- Build your Emergency fund
- Debt avalanche approach
- Debt management vs settlement
- Debt consolidation using tools like balance transfer cards and personal loans
- Increasing your income
- Reducing your expenses
- Don’t be afraid to consider bankruptcy
One of the newest programs at The Financial Gym is our Trainer on Demand, where you can schedule a call every month to chat with a Certified Financial Trainer. If you’re looking for someone to help you make a debt management plan and click this link to learn more!
MEET THE TRAINERS
- Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer, Kadri Augustin
- Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, Myriam Robinson
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our trainers sit down to Gymsplain student loans. Mike, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, is joined by Joy, Head of Trainer Academy and Certified Financial Trainer.
The general consensus around The Financial Gym: student loans are really no big deal. Common feelings surrounding student loan debt are often fear, anxiety, and shame. Joy and Mike hope to demystify these loans and provide some tips for your debt payoff journey. You don’t have to scale the mountain of student loan debt before enjoying your life.
**Please note this episode was recorded before the government’s decision to extend student loan payment pause through May 1, 2022. For more information on this check Federal Student Aid website. The advice still applies!
Podcast Notes
- There are two main types of student loans:
Federal Loans - provided by the government based on your FAFSA results
Private Loans - provided by a private lender like a bank or company
FEDERAL LOANS:
- there are a few different types of federal student loan options.
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- Subsidized: government pays the interest while you are in school
- Unsubsidized: You’re responsible for the interest accrued while in school
- Parent Plus: Loans your parents take on your behalf
- Grad Plus: For graduate students based on a federal aid package
- All of these federal loans have various repayment options.
Standard, income-based, and gradual repayment plans are some examples. - Income-based repayment plans all come with loan forgiveness later down the road (20-25 years).
- Public Service Forgiveness is available if you are employed by a U.S federal, state, local, or tribal government, or not-for-profit organization. This is a 120-month or 10-year program.
- The Federal Government put an administrative pause on federal loans the last two years as part of COVID relief efforts, which is a huge benefit of federal loans.
- You can apply for your own deferment or forbearance if you are personally experiencing a hardship.
- Federal loans can be consolidated into one big federal loan. This opens up other repayment options and can simplify your payments.
- You can refinance your federal loans into private loans, if you wish. Though it is rarely recommended because you lose the flexibility and benefits that come with federal loans.
- Unlike other collections, student loans don’t go away. You do have the option for loan rehabilitation. It’s important to be prepared and organized for this process because you only have one chance with this program. A trainer can help get your ducks in a row.
PRIVATE LOANS:
- Typically supplemental funds families take out if they don’t have enough federal aid to cover the cost of school.
- They can be used to cover living expenses and fees and other school-related costs.
- These are more similar to a traditional loan because they are held by a private lender, bank or company that handles only student loans
- They are under no obligation to honor and forgiveness or other programs the government is offering with federal loans
- One perk of private loans is it is a competitive industry, so there are options for refinancing as your income and credit score increase.
OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT STUDENT LOANS
- When it comes to student loans, the goal doesn’t always have to be ‘get the balance to 0’
- Student loan payments are money you can’t get back once you pay it.
- Instead of paying student loans off early, there are other financial priorities to focus on, depending on your situation. It could be high-interest debt, saving into an emergency fund, or investing for retirement.
- Student loans don’t need to be an emotional burden or cause you stress.
- Federal student loans came about during the cold war. They wanted to encourage a population full of people with higher education to keep them competitive in the space race and other global affairs.
- Because there are no regulations around the cost of school, the price has gone up astronomically. There are a lot of issues within the workings of higher education and we carry that burden on our backs through these loans.
- It is absolutely okay to just pay the minimum. The government prefers you pay the minimum and use your money to stimulate the economy. Doing things like saving for retirement, buying a home, shopping at local businesses.
Meet The Trainers
Meet Joy Liu, Head of Trainer Academy and Certified Level 2 Trainer
Meet Mike Poulin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
- If you want one of our Certified Financial Trainers to work with you on a student loan strategy, book a complimentary consultation today!
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our trainers, Chandra and Garrett, sit down to talk about their plans, goals, and hopes for 2022. They discuss their personal goals, financial goals, intentions, and what about the new year has them excited!
Podcast Notes * Chandra’s word for this year: intent. To be more intentional with friendships, relationships, and partnerships. This includes her relationship with money! * When Garrett was thinking about the theme for the year, the word ‘breathe’ came to mind. It’s so important to breathe. To pause, take a moment for yourself, and collect the thoughts.
HABITS / INTENTIONS TO BRING INTO THE NEW YEAR * Financial health is just as important as physical and mental health. * Focus on being intentional about one thing at a time. Trying to change everything at once can lead to burnout. Sustainable habits over time will set the foundation for success. * Be intentional with saving and investing. While ‘building wealth’ is a fine goal, dig deep and find what gets you excited. * Avoid playing the comparison game with other people. There is no set timeline for when certain financial goals should be reached. Compare you to yourself and measure growth that way. * Without the mindset shift, nothing else changes. You have to believe you can be successful. * Take some time to reflect on the wins. Even during times where you feel like you didn’t do much, there are wins to be found. Even if you overspend during the holiday season, not adding debt can be a huge win. Even if you have to dip into your savings, they were there and that’s a win. * Clients who consistently show up for themselves intentionally become more financially savvy. * Things are always evolving. Always strive to learn and educate yourself more and more. * If there are children in your life, take time to bring them into the fold. The same way most of our first bank accounts are the same as our parents, this can be the same for investment and brokerage accounts. Almost everyone says they wish they would have started investing sooner, so teach the young people in your life! * If you fail to make a plan, you plan to fail. * You don’t have to win the race, but you do have to start walking. Everything starts with the first step, which can be the hardest. * Taking the time to learn is part of that first step. * The more time and effort you put into anything, there will be change. * There’s no wrong time to start taking the right strides forward. * Time keeps ticking forward. How are you spending your time? Are there areas you want to change? * On a daily basis, set your intentions because we aren’t promised tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Be intentional about what you’re going to do today * This time and New Year are a blessing. You are here. Take the time to appreciate yourself. Think about your plan of action and move with intention in all aspects of your life, not just the finances. * Put your action items out there. Whether that is on paper, to a friend, or with a Trainer at The Gym.
About Financial Trainers * All of the Certified Financial Trainers at The Gym come from different backgrounds and have been on their own financial journeys. They don’t judge and are a safe space to set big goals or talk about things that make you anxious. * If you want a hype person on your life team, schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our amazing warm up callers to learn more! As life ebbs and flows, a Certified Financial Trainer will be your accountability partner along the way.
Meet The Trainers Meet Chandra - Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Garrett - Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, two of our Level 2 Certified Financial Trainers, Mike Poulin and Sara Belhouari, sit down to talk all about goals! They discuss their favorite kinds of goals, how to achieve them, and how to keep yourself motivated along the way.
The end of the year is a popular time for reflection and goal setting. This episode is full of tips about how to be thoughtful and intentional with your new goals! Even though it’s an especially popular topic this time of year, you can set a new goal any time. The tips and exercises in this episode can be used any time of year.
Podcast Notes
- You don’t have to wait for the New Year to make changes, but there is something magical about a fresh start in January. It’s a great time to reflect and ground yourself again.
- Sara and Mike are both people who like to set goals. Mike’s are more reflective and Sara focuses on very interpersonal goals with tangible metrics-based goals sprinkled in.
FIND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU
- Goals are your values put into reality. If you know what your values are, setting goals becomes easier.
- Plans at The Financial Gym are designed around your goals. Figuring out what those are is a huge step. The first quarter is explortarty for the clients and often, the goals change!
- Clients will ask their trainer, “what are other people’s goals?” There are many outside forces: friends, family, social media, society, all influencing what we think we want.
- Your goals don’t have to be, ‘buy a house,’ ‘have a kid,’ or ‘buy a car.’ We assume they have to be big, tangible milestones, but there are many types of goals!
- They can be around setting boundaries, feeling more confident, saving a certain amount of money. It’s about figuring out what YOU want, not what somebody else wants.
- Sometimes you find new goals while living life. Mike shares an example about setting boundaries and how it was a goal he didn’t know he needed.
- Society has a very set structure and if you want anything outside of that, it’s seen as taboo or weird. It can be easy to adopt the goals of others and society.
- You are the only person who can hold you truly accountable, so set goals that YOU want to achieve.
SMART GOALS
- Smart is an acronym to help aid in goal setting. It helps you with setting goals beyond, ‘I want to save money this year.’ SMART stands for:
-
- Smart
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timeframe
- This framework is a great starting point, but you can modify and adjust it to fit your needs!
- Don’t get caught up in the weeds if that isn’t enjoyable for you. Setting goals doesn’t need to be a stressful process.
- When it comes to the ‘realistic’ aspect of SMART goals, don’t sell yourself short. Even if your goal might not seem realistic, put it out there! Speak it into existence. Once you say it out loud, there’s a better chance that it is going to happen.
- It can be hard to admit or even know what you actually want, especially after the last few years. Sometimes you have to think out of the box and really go for it. You never know what might happen. The universe has a funny way of making things happen.
- At times, the goal is not clear. When that happens, it’s time to get out and find the next best thing! Life is unpredictable.
TAKING ACTION
- Once you have figured out the goal, what’s next? How do you start making it happen?
- Taking action on the goals is the most important thing. You have to make a plan and spend time working on it, or it is not going to happen. You can use an app, spreadsheet, or journal!
- There are tools out there to help you with the measurable aspects of the goals. Once you figure out what you want, reverse engineer it.
- If there is too much time clutter in your day, clear the space to take action on your goals.
- If you’re a person who sets goals, but struggles with follow through, find an accountability partner. This can be a friend, coach, or a trainer at The Gym. Accountability works and there’s no shame in having people on your team helping you achieve your goals!
If you are looking for a BFF (Best Financial Friend) or want a Certified Financial Trainer to help you figure out your goals and hold you accountable, head to TheFinancialGym.com to book a complimentary consultation today!
Meet The Trainers
Meet Mike Poulin, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Sara B, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, Randi DeGraw, based in New Jersey. She is joined by one of her clients, Eileen, to sit down and talk about one of their favorite topics, teaching kids about good financial habits early on.
Both Randi and Eileen have children. Eileen’s son, Sebastian, is nine years old and Randi has two kids. Harper who is four years old and JJ, who is six. Today, they discuss how and when to get started, books to read with your kids, and different tools you can use to get them excited about financial literacy.
Podcast Notes
- Children learn the most about money by observing their parents, especially if other discussions aren’t being had.
- Have intentional conversations and let them watch you.
- Eileen talks about her family dynamic growing up. One parent had a gambling addiction and the other had a spending addiction. She learned how to rack up credit card debt and ended up filing bankruptcy. After her divorce, she only had $347 to her name and had to figure out how to manage money quickly.
- This is a huge motivating factor in teaching her own son. She wants him to build a great relationship and habits with money, even before he starts working. The goal is to teach valuable lessons and set him up for success in adulthood.
- Money is a vital part of how we operate in the world. Teaching kids early isn’t about them being obsessed with money, just how to have a healthy relationship with it.
WHERE TO GET STARTED
- Start the conversation with money in general. Kids start learning about money in kindergarten or first grade, and you can build on what they learned with real coins at home.
- Get them involved and excited. Eileen and Sebastian built a money bank from a DIY Home Depot kit. There was wood, nails, and paint. He was so excited to build it. He also has a wallet to keep his cash organized.
- Read books about money together, there are great ones for kids.
- Teach them the concepts and allow them to make age appropriate decisions. The supermarket and dollar store are great places to start with young children.
- Sebastian got excited about money around age 8, though the smaller conversations started earlier.
- Letting kids spend their own money is one of the best learning tools.
- Make money a fun and enjoyable topic
ALLOWANCE
- When Sebastian was young, the allowance started at $1 per week. We’d go to the dollar store and he was able to use the money he saved to buy what he wanted.
- A real allowance started at age 8 for Sebastian and it is a mix of cash and debit. Each Thursday is payday and they go over the spreadsheet together so he can see where the money goes.
- Eileen uses the app Greenlight and there are many great features!
- There are weekly chores for the base allowance, but opportunity to make extra cash doing extra chores such as vacuuming the car or helping rake leaves.
WHAT EILEEN & SEBASTIAN FOCUS ON
- They talk about savings goals: giving, sharing, and spending are all savings goals on the Greenlight card.
- When it comes time to take money out and spend it, Sebastian will look at the price and say, ‘That’s too expensive! I’m not buying that.’ He gets it!
- Compounding interest! They talk about investing and she opened a Fidelity account for Sebastian. Right now, she deposits $25 a month and will contribute until he starts working. Starting early is the key.
- The importance of not always trying to keep up with the Joneses
- He is 9 right now and he is currently saving for a car. The goal of this is to show him how these little steps over time make a huge difference.
- He sits with her when she updates her portfolio and they dive into investing then.
FUN STORIES
- Eileen jokes that Sebastian tells stories about being in school and knowing all the answers to the money questions. The teachers are always surprised!
- They did an Instagram live together where he asked to be interviewed. He loved it and wants to be partners in teaching others personal finance with his mom.
FINAL THOUGHTS
- Starting this process is all about setting time aside to do it. It can be hard to get started, but the habit is built over time.
- The best way to teach is through real life. Put the money in their hands. Talking and books are great, but they learn the most by actually doing it.
- There are always ways to make it fun and enjoyable. Do what works for your family and your kid’s interests.
If you want to work with a trainer to improve your financial health or talk through teaching your children about money, book a complimentary consultation today!
OTHER RESOURCES:
Greenlight: An app designed to help parents teach kids about money
Danny Dollar Millionaire Extraordinaire and the Lemonade Escapade - by Ty Allan Jackson
Rich Dad’s Escape from the Rat Race - Robert Kiyosaki
Connect With Eileen:
Email: eileen@eileenjoy.com
Meet The Trainer
Randi DeGraw, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Joy Liu, Director of Trainer Academy. She is joined by two of our new Certified Level 2 trainers based in Los Angeles, Jazmin and Yenny.
As Director of Trainer Academy, Joy has the pleasure of onboarding all of the new trainers when they join the team and certifying them to become trainers. On the show today, Jazmin and Yenny will introduce themselves and discuss how they found The Gym, some personal stories, and what excites them most about being part of the team.
Podcast Notes
HOW WERE YOU LED TO THE GYM
- Yenny’s personal finance journey started when she was young. She grew up in a low-income immigrant household, where there was always a feeling of scarcity around money. This kind of mindset was motivating, but led to fear based choices in her adult life. Once she started earning a higher salary, she didn’t know what to do with the money. She wanted to set goals for herself and make the money feel personal and intentional. A friend sent her the Financial Gym’s Instagram page and she followed for a year. Once she honed in on what she wanted to do as a career, she applied to The Gym.
- Jazmin had the experience growing up on welfare fairly early in life. She decided to go her own route and got married after graduating high school. She found herself taking on debt before making the money to pay it off. Without many examples growing up, it was hard to make a plan. I went to school, took out student loans and started a family. Her income at the time was solely supporting the family and there wasn’t room for much else. She found herself in six figures of debt, and wanted to get serious about personal finance. She dove deep into reading and researching, learning as much as possible about personal finance. The Gym was one of many resources she found. Through the process, she began sharing her knowledge with friends, family, and members of her church. The lack of access to quality financial education is what attracted Jazmin to The Gym.
- At The Gym, it is important for the clients to know their trainer has walked in their shoes. They’ve been on their own finance journeys and want to help usher others.
- There can be an assumption that a financial professional has always done the right thing or led a perfect financial life, and that shouldn’t be the case.
Before your personal finance journey.. What was your best decision and the biggest learning opportunity?
- For best decisions, Yenny talks about taking out less than the maximum amount of student loans and buying her first home. While she doesn’t live in that home anymore, she was able to sell it for a profit. The home was also the biggest learning opportunity because it needed a lot of work and she wasn’t financially or mentally prepared at the time for it.
- Jazmin shares a story about her friend asking her about contributing to their workplace 401k. This friend explained the employer match and the importance of compound interest. This was a huge turning point for Jazmin’s journey. Years later, she can see the effects of those earlier contributions growing. The biggest opportunity, a timeshare, which Jazmin was introduced to at a Dodgers game. She was able to pay it off, but it was painful.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY
- Yenny lives with her husband and they don’t have any children or fur babies right now. As a child of immigrants, giving back and taking care of family, including financially, is incredibly important to her. She’s learned to set boundaries and set up systems that work well for her and her family. This looks like family plans for insurance and phone bills and sharing my resources and knowledge with my family so they can empower themselves. She has a strong financial connection to them, which is common in many cultures.
- Jazmin and her husband have two teenagers and two dogs. Her teenagers are very athletic so she’s always at various games and meets. Back when we first started on this personal finance journey as a family, her husband was a huge part of that. They would listen to money talk shows on the radio and have conversations based on quotes from the show. The kids had an allowance, which gave them the opportunity to be part of the family journey and learn with their own money. Her husband now is all about finding ways to earn passive income. He’s incredibly strategic and thoughtful about their budget and it keeps the whole family motivated and excited. Jazmin’s family has started a number of physical locations and service-based businesses. She is an advocate for starting these without taking on debt.
WHAT KIND OF CLIENTS ARE YOU HOPING TO ATTRACT
- Yenny hopes to work with folks who are new to the security of money and what it can provide.
- Jazmin hopes to work with folks who have messy, sticky, situations. She loves taking a financial puzzle and putting the pieces together.
- If you resonate with Jazmin or Yenny’s stories and want to work with them, book a complimentary warm-up call today. Let your consultant know that you’re ready to work with one of them. They’re so excited to get YOU started on your own financial journey!
Meet The Trainers
Meet Joy Liu, Head of Trainer Academy
Meet Jazmin Higgins, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Yenny Urquilla, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Joy Liu, Head of Trainer Academy. She is joined by two of our new Level 2 Certified Financial Trainers based in the Los Angeles office, Corben and Genar.
As Director of Trainer Academy, Joy has the pleasure of onboarding and training all of the new trainers when they join the team and certifying them to be Certified Financial Trainers. On the show today, Corben and Genar will introduce themselves and discuss how they found The Gym and what excites them most about being part of the team.
Podcast Notes
- Corben’s personal finance journey started in 2015. Through church, he was introduced to Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University and went through the program. Through that he learned about money and his outlook on it began to change. Fast forward to now, other than their mortgage, Corben and his wife are debt free and continue to learn about building wealth.
- Genar, like many other folks, didn’t know much about money growing up. He made all the mistakes in the book. He moved abroad for a year (financed on credit cards) and upon returning from that trip, had a moment where he realized he needed to make a change. He also followed Dave Ramsey’s method step by step. It was a slow process, but started to feel empowering. At the time, he met his now wife, which added a whole level of motivation for the journey.
- We at The Gym are only interested in changing your life
- It take some time, but it really is life changing stuff
BEST FINANCIAL MOVE and THE BIGGEST LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
- Corben said the best move was investing in himself. Knowing there was a learning opportunity and investing the money to gain the knowledge. Whether that is books or online courses, it’s all about accessing the information.
- Looking back to when Corben was in his early twenties, he was receiving chapter 35 benefits from his father’s service in the war. He spent that money on watches, speakers, and other fun things. Sometimes he thinks about what that money could have turned into if he had the knowledge then that he does now, but ultimately is thankful for the experience. Mistakes are lessons along the way.
- Genar also talks about the decision to invest in himself. Not directly in the area of personal finance, but learning how to communicate and care for himself. It allowed him to personally grow and be around others. That led to him being able to ask for help. We need community and support and asking for help is always okay!
- When Genar lived abroad, he sold all of his belongings and financed his high end lifestyle with credit card debt. Definitely not the smartest move financially, but the realization when returning home is what sparked the personal finance journey!
- Sometimes you have to feel the consequences of things to inspire change.
- The idea of paying money to save money might be a new concept.
HOW HAVE YOU PERSONALLY SEEN THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT &
WHY DO YOU RECOMMEND IT.
- Corben shared for years, he felt like even though he had big goals, he was unable to move the needle. There was a need to try something different. Why was it so easy to spend on things that bring instant gratification, but not invest in something that can have long term growth potential? He wanted to shift away from that thinking. It’s been a journey and surrounding yourself with people who have the information and will meet you where you are is incredibly valuable.
- Genar talks about how when he felt limited in life the most, he invested in himself the least. He felt that paying for these resources was taking away from him rather than a potential growth opportunity. You can always try to figure things out on your own, but paying for someone else utilizes their experience and in turn, accelerates your growth. Going through the process alone is unnecessary. Olympic athletes, who are the best of the best, work with coaches. People work with personal trainers. These pros help you push through perceived limits. Investing in yourself is the best decision you’ll make.
Joy points out the theme in both of the trainers' stories, working with a professional helps you eliminate decision fatigue. There are so many ways to do everything and we can get stuck in trying to find the ‘right’ when it might be best to commit to one thing for a while.
YOU WILL WORK WITH MANY TYPES OF CLIENTS, WHO ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO WORK WITH?
- Corben: He is looking to be of service to whoever is willing and open to put themselves out there because getting financially naked is vulnerable. Working with people who are open to change and want something better is his hope. As an African American man, Corben says he really wants to work with people who look like him and who have similar stories. He shares a story about a client earlier this week who reminded him of his mom as she was expressing where she was financially, which is the perfect example of his ideal client.
- Genar: A main drive in Genar’s life is being of service to others, which is why he was attracted to working with The Financial Gym in the first place. He knows the power of having someone believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself. He wants to work with the person who doesn’t believe in themselves yet and share the magic with them. He’s seen too much magic in his life to not believe in it and it is contagious. He wants to share that with everyone who comes through the virtual office door.
- If you resonate with Genar or Corben’s stories and want to work with them, book a complimentary warm-up call today. Let your consultant know that you’re ready to work with one of them. They’re excited to get YOU started on your own financial journey!
Books mentioned: How to Make Money in Stocks - William J. O'Neil
The Simple Path to Wealth - J.L. Collins
Money Master the Game - Toni Robbins
Meet The Trainers
Meet Joy Liu, Head of Trainer Academy
Meet Corben Wilson, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Genar Mendez, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Shannon McLay, our Founder and CEO is hosting! To celebrate this 100 episode milestone, she is joined by Certified Financial Trainers, Kadri Auguston and Victoria Sechrist.
In the almost two years of recording this show, Victoria and Kadri have been the hosts of over 25% of all the time. Today, the trio sits down to answer listener questions, chat about favorite episodes, and discuss what is so special about recording this show and working at the Gym.
Shannon has recorded over 400 episodes of her award-winning podcast, Martinis and Your Money. In that time. topics directly related to the Gym have been an aspect of the show. It became clear there were enough stories for a separate show entirely. Which is when Financially Naked was born.
100 episodes later, here we are! The name, Financially Naked comes from the first session you have with a trainer at the Gym. During these sessions, we have vulnerable conversations and connect on an emotional level. It is a regular part of what we do on this show and as trainers.
Podcast Notes
- Podcast episodes are a fun way to learn more about your clients and colleagues than you ever have before.
- The client base at the Gym is diverse in age, income levels, and backgrounds.
- They have so many things going on in their lives and hearing the stories is a pleasure.
- On this podcast, 23 episodes feature clients!
- Many episodes are inspired by conversations between trainers, their clients and each other.
PARTS OF THE JOB
- Trainers are financial historians. It can be hard to see the progress when it feels slow, but your trainers know. They see it and are there to remind you of that amazing work.
- Clients at the Gym are the bravest people out there.
- People ask, “Am I your worst client?” or “Is it bad?”
Shannon says ‘the worst’ client is not a member of the Gym. If you’re here, showing up, you are doing a brave thing. - People think they’re alone in their struggles, but over 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. It’s important to recognize other folks are going through it too and to be gentle with yourself.
- The hardest part is showing up, especially when it’s not going well. If you keep showing up, you’ll get the results.
- It’s great to look back and remind clients where they were, just a year ago. Seeing the mindset shift is huge.
- Encouraging self-compassion is a huge aspect of financial training. Reminding people it’s okay to give themselves a break.
- Also giving credit for the victories like staying out of credit card debt, not adding more debt, or having a cushion in place.
- Everything you do is financially fixable. We can deal with the finances. It’s just numbers.
- Trainers are detectives, looking for what Kadri calls the ‘cashflow boogeyman’
- When there’s a gap between earning and spending and you have to find creative ways to close it.
- You may not remember what you spent money on months ago, but it becomes part of your timeline. Your choices in the moment matter and small things can add up quickly.
- This is a really eye-opening journey for some clients. It is fun to help them confront the Boogeyman and see the lightbulb moments along the way,
THE POWER OF EXPENSE REPORTS
- At the early stages, clients go through the spending exercises. The spending reports from the Training Zone are a powerful tool.
- When trainers go through them at the Gym with clients, there is no judgement.
- They are a conversation starter and provide surprising information for both client and trainer.
- It helps folks figure out where their money is going. It’s one step on the personal finance journey.
- Some clients graduate from expense reviews, but occasionally want to bring it back for a refresh. It’s a great tool in that way.
- Kadri will go line by line with clients and instead of focusing on the number, ask questions like, “What was that purchase?’ “Who was that meal with?” “Did it bring you joy?” to help change the relationship with spending.
- It’s about making room for the things clients want to do.
- You can have fun AND be financially healthy.
KADRI’S FAVORITES:
- His episode with Dr. Leslie Faerstein about Wellness and Anxiety during COVID
Listen to Wellness and Anxiety During COVID HERE - His episode with Melissa Blatt all about healthcare for freelancers
Listen to Healthcare for Freelancers HERE - The episode with Gus, all about overspending. Shannon reveals this is the second most downloaded episode and loves how honest this one is.
Listen to Overspending in Your 20's HERE
VICTORIA’S FAVORITES:
- Her solo episode about figuring out YOUR goals and why they are important to you!
Listen to Your Goals vs. Expectations of Others HERE - The episode with Bevin about using your emergency fund. It was coming up for many clients and inspired a great conversation.
Listen to Using Your Emergency Fund HERE
IF YOU WANT TO BE ON THIS SHOW
- If you are a client, let your trainer know! Go right to the source. If you have an idea or story to share, they’ll get you set up.
- You can email trainerpodcast@fingyms.com
- We welcome real stories from anonymous names if you prefer to stay private as a guest.
Most Downloaded Episodes
- First Time Home Buying with Terri and LemonBrew
- Overspending in Your 20’s with Kadri & Gus
- Understanding Your Financial Plan with Crystal and Nick
- Money Mistakes and Regrets with Hector and Garrett
Meet The Trainers
Meet Kadri Augustin, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Victoria Sechrist, Level 3 Certified Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, employees Bridget and Kylie sit down to talk about preparing for the Holidays. They chat about how to plan, what to do if you haven’t planned as well as you wanted, and other tips for navigating the festive season.
Podcast Notes
- To get us started, Bridget and Kylie chat about when it is appropriate to start listening to Christmas music.
- When it comes to the holidays, ideally it is best to be planning all year round.
- Though, if you haven’t, (don’t worry, this is lots of us), here are some tips for creating a holiday budget:
- First: make a list of everyone you plan to buy a gift for.
Second: check it twice
Third: assign a dollar amount to each gift and build in a little buffer. - Do this in a spreadsheet, app, or piece of paper. Whatever works for you!
- Redirect any automatic savings from your other goals into a holiday fund for a month or so to cash flow your list.
- If you have a travel fund or other sinking funds, it’s cool to pull cash from there.
- Your emergency fund is also an option, though the other ones above are preferred.
GET CREATIVE
- If you’re from a big family where everyone buys gifts for everyone, try a Secret Santa. This is a great way for everyone to get a gift and ease the shopping burden.
- You and your siblings can go in together to buy one thing for your parents.
- Instead of exchanging gifts with your siblings, pool your money and go out for a nice dinner. The kids can have a fun night with Grandma & Grandpa while you all hang out.
- For people who buy themselves everything they need, donating to a cause they care about in their name is an option.
- Remember when giving gifts, it’s not always about the dollar amount spent, rather the time and thought behind it.
- If you’re in a group that hasn’t set a budget, suggest it! Other folks are trying to figure out their holiday spending plan as well and might appreciate the idea!
- If gift-giving is your love language, remember, something meaningful is more important than a high dollar amount.
- It is important to take care of yourself financially in order to give gifts throughout the year and holiday season. The people you are giving gifts to are those most important in your life. They wouldn’t want you to go into hardship for a gift.
- Always add some wiggle room! Life happens, things pop up, you want to enjoy the season!
OTHER EXPENSES TO LOOK OUT FOR
- TRAVEL! If you are someone who knows you will be traveling for the holiday, set a calendar reminder for yourself in October to book the tickets.
- Holiday decorations are another thing people forget to include in their budget
- The Christmas Tree!
- Going to holiday parties and grabbing drinks after or just meeting up with friends for meals more frequently. Everyone is cheery and you’ll probably want another drink.
- If you’re having people over or planning a holiday meal, the extra grocery costs.
FINAL THOUGHTS
- It is tempting to buy things for ourselves while shopping for others.
- Remember, people will be giving you gifts and there will be sales after Christmas.
- Try to avoid buying for yourself until after the New Year. Spend the time between Christmas and January 1 cleaning out the closet, cabinets, etc, and making a list of things you actually need.
- This way you can assess how the holiday spending was and purchase what you need intentionally from there.
- Set a budget, like anything else in life. The whole point of the season is to be with people you care about and enjoy it. Don’t let the money stress you out.
- If you’re a client at the gym, your trainer will help you with that!
- If you aren’t a client yet, sign up before the new year to start 2022 off with a trainer, who will make sure you’re planning for all the things you love and care about.
Random Three Questions - Holiday Edition
- What is the most memorable gift you received as a kid?
- What Holiday song can you not get enough of?
- What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
Meet The Trainers
Meet Bridget, Head of Trainer Development (the very first employee at the gym)
Meet Kylie, Certified Level Two Financial Trainer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Joy, a North Carolina-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by her client Colleen Gray. Colleen works in career services, is one of the warm-up callers at The Gym, and is also a career coach. Today, they are going to talk all about switching jobs, resumes, interview tips, and all things in between.
More now than ever, folks are leaving their jobs in what is being called, ‘The Great Resignation’. If you are thinking about looking for a new job in your field or jumping into a new career entirely, you certainly aren’t alone. Colleen works as a career coach and brings us lots of great tips for navigating the search all the way to the interview.
WHERE TO START
- If you want to make a switch, take some time to sit down and reflect. Try to figure out what your passion is and what you want to do professionally. Is there an area you have talent in that you haven’t explored yet?
- If you are happy in your field, but looking for a new position, start reaching out and making connections.
- Utilize LinkedIn and other platforms and start talking to people. Sometimes opportunities are really about who you know.
WHERE TO SEARCH
- Job search engines like Indeed and LinkedIn are a great place to start. Google is also an amazing resource for searching for jobs.
- Search to see if your field has a niche job opportunity site, many of them do!
- Career and job fairs are also a great place to search. Lots right now are virtual and could help get your foot in the door or make new connections.
- Always check the job description to see what skills / experiences are ‘preferred’ and which are ‘required’
- Even if you don’t think you’re qualified, apply anyway!
- It’s all about getting your foot in the door. You can sell yourself in the interview.
RESUME TIPS
- Ensure you’re using a professional resume format. This could be chronological, functional, or a mix of both.
- Use the keywords from the job description in your resume. While this can be time-consuming, having a unique resume for each job is the best practice.
- Some companies use Applicant Tracking Software to scan resumes, and ones without keywords are passed. This isn’t always the case, but it is something to be mindful of.
- When including keywords, make sure they are skills you have. Assume an employer will want to talk in-depth about the information on your resume, be honest.
- If there are gaps on your resume, explore your experience to fill in that gap. Many skills are transferable, even if the work wasn’t from a ‘traditional job.’
- You can hire someone to help you write your resume, Colleen offers this as part of her coaching work. Always take the time to make sure whoever you hire is a good fit for you! Some folks are more hands-on, while others are more transactional.
INTERVIEW TIPS
- Do your research!
- Get to know the company you are interviewing with. Look at their mission statement and core values. The more information you have going in, the better!
- Prepare before the interview day. Sit down with a blank paper or word document and recall some previous professional experiences.
- A time you went above and beyond, a mistake you made and how you recovered, or a time you experienced conflict are some examples.
- It’s pretty common to freeze in the moment when asked to recall a previous experience, so preparing beforehand helps you be ready.
- Have a list of soft skills and hard skills, 6 with a mix of both is sufficient.
- Soft skills include time management, attention to detail, and organizational skills. Hard skills are more technical or related to your field.
- Avoid talking negatively about past employers during the interview
- Come prepared with great questions to ask the interviewer. This is an opportunity for you to see if they are a good fit for your life and goals!
- Joy interviews candidates for The Gym and confirms having really great questions as a candidate is impressive during the interview.
- Do practice/mock interviews. As with anything, the more practice, the easier the process becomes. You can do this with a coach like Colleen, a friend, or record a self-tape.
GENERAL CAREER SEARCH TIPS
- Be confident in yourself
- Know your worth and don’t be afraid to ask for it.
- Employers expect you to negotiate, do salary research before you interview.
- Looking for a job can feel like a full time job. If you’re able to hire someone to help you, that’s a great option. If not, set aside some time. Even if it is just an hour at night. The process can take time and it’s important to dedicate the energy.
- Working with a professional career coach is a great option. Colleen helps clients do it all, from the job search to interview coaching. When working with a coach, use the initial consultation to ensure they’re a good fit for you!
Connect with Colleen
Email: colleengraycareers@gmail.com
Instagram: @colleengreycareers
Meet The Trainer
Joy Lui
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Mike Poulin, a DC-based Financial Trainer, and he is joined by fellow trainer, Hector Lopez, who is based in LA. Today, they are going to talk about debt and credit management.
Podcast Notes
- Prior to working with the Gym, Mike worked at a credit union for seven years. Part of this was in the ‘debt solutions’ department (basically in-house collections).
- For so many, debt is a normal part of life but there are many mysteries around it.
- Collections in general seem to be the biggest mystery and monster when it comes to debt.
- Hector uses the word ‘monster’ specifically because collections feel like a huge, daunting process.
- Knowledge is power when it comes to debt collectors. Knowing the logistics on the other side will help you be prepared when in this situation.
Practical tips for handling collections:
- Some institutions handle collections in-house while others sell the debt to a third party.
- Each state has its own laws regarding consumer protection, which means the number of calls you receive can vary.
- It can be tempting to ignore calls, but it is better to have a conversation with someone on the other end.
- An unanswered call means they’re more likely to keep calling as the laws allow this kind of activity.
- Try to work out an arrangement with the creditor. They’re usually happy to get any sort of payment over nothing at all.
- If you have debt, before it goes to collections, paying even $1 keeps the account from going inactive and can help buy a little bit of time.
CREDIT SCORES
- The credit score system in America is relatively new and has many flaws.
- There are three credit bureaus in the United States: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- While credit score is one aspect of financial health, it is not the most important.
- 35% of credit score is utilization - how much you use on a month to month basis
35% of credit score is payment history. The rest encompasses types of accounts, lengths of accounts, and the number of inquiries. - Obsessing about your credit score isn’t great for either your financial or mental health.
- Once you start focusing on other aspects of financial health, the credit score usually improves over time.
- There are times when credit score is incredibly important, like when you are looking for more credit to buy a home, car, or even renting an apartment. It is a way for banks and lenders to determine whether they think you’re a good person to lend money to.
- Even as someone who has worked in the business, Mike feels like there is still some mystery.
- Scores 750+ earn you bragging rights. Anything over that is extra credit. Those 800+ scores come down to time and credit length.
DEBT vs. SAVING
- It is important to build your savings while paying down debt.
- While it can be tempting to throw all of your money at debt for a number of reasons, building an emergency fund will help you truly break the debt cycle.
- You will no longer need to go deeper into debt when something pops up. Your debt payoff journey will not happen in a vacuum, there will be surprise expenses along the way. Having cash saved means you’ll be prepared.
BUDGETING
- One way we focus on saving and paying down debt is by looking at spending.
- The traditional idea of budgeting can feel restrictive or limiting, but that’s not what we do at the gym.
- We focus on empathy, sustainability, and the WHY. Does the spending reflect your current goals?
- Most debt does not happen overnight, rather over purchases or other expenses over time.
- Our focus is to help clients spend intentionally on their goals and joys and cut in the areas that do not.
- The reason trainers ask about your goals is because that is what they want to focus and plan for. If owning a house isn’t your goal, it won’t be in the plan. If your morning coffee is important, let’s put it in the budget!
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
The only place you should check your credit report is annualcreditreport.com. It is backed by the federal government and you can request one free report each year
READ MORE ON OUR BLOG:
Ask a Trainer: What Can I Do to Raise My Credit Score
How to Rebuild Your Credit Over Time
How to Use 0% Interest Credit Cards the Smart Way
Meet The Trainers
Meet Hector Lopez
Meet Mike Poulin
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Tina, an NYC based trainer is joined by colleague Jenny, who resides in the mountainous state of Colorado. Today’s episode is the second in a series about Retirement Savings. The two trainers discuss different kinds of retirement accounts and which ones to consider investing in.
Today’s episode is less about account logistics and more about strategy. You can listen to Part One and read the show notes HERE.
Podcast Notes
- If your employer offers a 401k and match, that should be your first priority when it comes to retirement savings.
- This is because an employer match is FREE MONEY and we at the gym can’t emphasize enough how much we love that.
- After that, our next recommendation for most clients is a Roth IRA.
- The Roth IRA comes with many advantages, which is why we are big fans of them at the gym.
- ROTH ADVANTAGES:
- It’s an after tax account, which means it grows tax free and you aren’t taxed when the money is withdrawn. This is because you’ve already paid taxes on the money contributed.
- You can invest up to $6,000 per year, either at once or in increments
- While we don’t want to withdraw retirement savings, you are able to withdraw the money that you contributed tax and penalty free. Any money earned cannot be withdrawn penalty free until the retirement age, which is currently 59 ½
-
ROTH IRAs ARE NOT PERFECT
-
Once you reach a certain income level, you are not eligible to contribute to a ROTH IRA.
-
If you happen to over contribute, there is a 6% penalty every year that money is there. You can fix that right away penalty free by withdrawing the over contribution.
-
TRADITIONAL IRAs ARE AN OPTION
-
Contributing to a Traditional IRA allows you to claim a tax deduction.
- You can only contribute $6,000 between both Traditional and Roth IRA’s, so be mindful. We usually recommend the Roth unless you are ineligible.
ACTUALLY INVESTING THE MONEY
- After you decide which kind of account is right for you and begin saving, it’s important to actually INVEST that money.
- Two main recommendations for clients: target date funds or choosing your own investments.
- With retirement savings, the best strategy is ‘set it and forget it’
- Target date funds sometimes go by different names such as ‘lifecycle funds’ and are found in most workplaces.
- They are set up to allocate your investments based on your age and the year you choose to set for retirement.
- You select the year you plan to retire and the fund is managed for you as time goes on. The allocation is more aggressive when you are younger and becomes more conservative as you approach retirement age. The fund is managed for you and you just have to pop in from time to time to check in.
- If a Target Date Fund isn’t available or you want to be more hands on with your investments, you can choose your own! You still want to treat it like your own target date fund, not putting all of your retirement eggs in one basket!
- Diversification is important. You’ll want to have a nice blend and include bonds as well.
- Choosing your own investments means you have to be more hands on, rebalancing your allocation more often.
- Stocks and bonds have an inverse relationship and should be considered when building your portfolio.
- When you add money into the account, most Roboadvisors and Workplace accounts will automatically invest in more shares.
- Some brokerages make you do it manually each time you add cash, it’s always better to double check.
- If automation is an option, we always recommend that!
-
Whether you invest with a target date fund or choose your own investments, it is important to remember there will be more recessions before you retire, (especially if you’re young!)
-
We have a new partnership with a company called Capitalize - check out THIS EPISODE where Bevin sits down with the co-founder, Guarav. Capitalize helps you find forgotten assets in 401k accounts and roll them over into other investment accounts! It is completely FREE to the user. Check out their services HERE !
READ MORE ABOUT INVESTING FOR RETIREMENT ON OUR BLOGIt’s (Almost) Always the Right Time to Start Investing for Retirement
Retirement for Beginners Pt. 2: The Power of Compounding Interest
Meet The Trainers
MEET JENNY HARP
MEET TINA HANG
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, we are sitting down to talk all about using your emergency fund! Today, the show is hosted by two of our financial trainers. Victoria Sechrist, a Boston-based trainer, is joined by Bevin Morgan, who lives in Lexington, Kentucky.
Podcast Notes
- What is an emergency fund? It is an important savings goal for all of our clients!
- It is the strong foundation that acts as the base for the rest of your financial house.
- Depending on your employment and other circumstances, we recommend having anywhere between 3-12 months in expenses saved.
- For most people, this should be in a High-Yield Savings Account. It should not be in stocks, bonds, or other assets. Here’s a link to B.F.F. Approved High-Yield Savings Accounts
ONCE YOU’VE REACHED THE GOAL
- Reaching the goal number, especially for the first time, is very exciting for our clients.
- Sometimes when an emergency pops up and it’s time to use the money, people are hesitant.
- Bevin’s response to this is simple and consistent: “That’s what it’s there for.”
- All of the hard work and saving was in preparation for this exact moment.
- Instead of having to lean on a credit card or loan, the money is there.
- This mindset shift takes time. Saving is hard work. It can feel frustrating to use that money.
- Some people feel like they won’t be able to save that money again, which is understandable.
But you CAN. You’ve already flexed that savings muscle and were ready at the moment for that emergency. You can and will be able to save again using those savings muscles you’ve built over time.
- Victoria and Bevin both express how being prepared with an emergency fund, even if you’re not all the way to your goal, is a HUGE victory.
- You don’t have to worry about how you are going to pay because you already know.
GETTING STARTED
- Everyone’s journey to the emergency fund is different.
- When it comes to getting started, it can be challenging for some to make the leap into opening a high-yield savings account.
- Some clients struggle not having all of the money in one place and keep everything in one checking account. The added account can feel like an uncomfortable buffer or barrier
- Think about your finances as a house. All of your money is one house and each account is a different room. Having a high-yield savings account is simply having your money in a different room, but it is all in your house.
- Clients at the gym usually start working with us when they want to make a change and that means there is some sacrifice involved. This doesn’t mean you have to swing into the extreme or live in scarcity. We don’t want the process of getting financially fit to include giving up everything you love.
- Life is meant to be lived in every single moment. We want to make sure there are resources for the future-you, but also ensure the present-you is taken care of. When starting a savings journey, an important step is figuring out the non-negotiables.
- Our tagline at The Financial Gym is “What are you working for?”
- Get into the details of other fixed expenses and other recurring monthly charges and see where you can start shaving. Those small savings add up monthly.
THE JOURNEY ISN’T ALWAYS LINEAR
- Sometimes on the way to building a $10,000 emergency fund, a $5,000 unexpected expense happens.
- This can be discouraging, but remember, it is still a HUGE victory.
- You had the money, did not have to take out debt, and were prepared.
- You’ve been building that savings muscle and will build that fund again.
- Once you see what you’re truly capable of, there is no holding you back!
USING YOUR E-FUND FOR NON-EMERGENCIES
- Interesting client question. What do you say to a client who might want to use a chunk of emergency savings to buy tickets to a once-in-a-lifetime BTS concert?
- Our mission is to help clients achieve their goals - so if this is really something they want and it’s not an every week ‘once-in-a-lifetime concert’ pattern, there are intentional options! Our goal at the gym is to help clients live their best lives by budgeting and planning for these things!
- That being said, sometimes there are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and there are always options to make it happen. Life is short. Money is a tool to help us live a wonderful life.
- Talking about money should be fun! Everyone’s situation is so personal, which is what is so special about the relationships clients and trainers have.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EMERGENCY FUNDS ON OUR BLOG:
How to Save Your First $1,000 in Emergency Savings
How to Build an Emergency Fund & Why You Need One
Meet The Trainers
Meet Bevin Morgan
Meet Victoria Sechrist
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Bevin Morgan, a Lexington-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by the CEO and co-founder of Capitalize, Gaurav Sharma. They are going to talk about the importance of rolling over legacy retirement accounts and how Capitalize makes it easy.
Gaurav Sharma is CEO and Co-Founder of Capitalize, a venture-backed fintech company focused on helping people save for retirement. Before founding Capitalize, he worked for some of the best-known financial institutions, including JP Morgan, UBS, Morgan Stanley, and as an investor at well-known hedge fund Greenlight Capital. An Australian by birth, Gaurav lives in New York City with his family.
Podcast Notes
- Capitalize is a fintech company that uses technology to make saving for retirement in the United States easier and more accessible to everyone.
- With most retirement savings being linked to our employers, there are many flaws in the system. One of the biggest being the obvious, we often switch employers after a couple of years.
- The process of rolling over a 401k is antiquated. Some folks don’t even know where the money is in their legacy accounts, making the process seem intimidating.
- This is where Capitalize comes in! They are helping people find lost assets and invest them well.
- They do this by digitizing the process of finding misplaced retirement savings and helping clients submit rollover requests. This makes the process very simple, even if you don’t know where your money is currently. This service is FREE to the client.
How does Capitalize work? * They first help the consumer by finding old accounts. Even if you don’t know the brokerage, Capitalize has built a database that maps employers to 401k brokers. * Then they help them decide where to move the money and why. There is a lot of confusion about the best account to move legacy accounts. Some common questions are: ‘what kind of account should I pick?’ or ‘What platform is best suited for my goals?’ * They help clients navigate the decision with an online comparison experience. Based on the info provided by the client, they will give a few great options AND help compare. After the client has chosen the account, Capitalize then helps the user open it. * They then help with the most challenging part. Each provider has their own rules and requirements for rollovers which makes the process very cumbersome and sometimes confusing. What Capitalize has done is digitize this last step. They know how to process these various rollovers and help the client submit the request to the legacy provider. If it requires human intervention, Capitalize has a fully licensed customer service team to handle these circumstances. * It is an end to end experience. Capitalize will help from start to finish AND it is completely FREE for the client.
Some Staggering Estimates about Legacy Retirement Funds * There are $700 billion (with a B) worth of rollovers to potentially process each year, affecting 15 million people. * There’s an estimated 24 million forgotten 401k accounts in the US with $1.35 trillion (with a T) worth of assets in them. * These figures come from research done with The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. * Check out this blog post for more info: The True Cost of Forgotten 401(k) Accounts – Capitalize
WHY CAPITALIZE IS REVOLUTIONARY * Consolidating legacy accounts is an important first step in saving for retirement. * Bevin recommended the service to one of her clients who found out they had $24,000 in these kinds of accounts, which Gaurav points out has the potential to grow exponentially if invested well. * Capitalize is a platform to help people manage employer-sponsored retirement accounts. Even though the system is far from perfect, employer accounts aren’t going away any time soon. There is a need for easy management as people tend to change employers every few years. This is the first platform to really do this work! * People who are self-employed or have other kinds of investment accounts (such as 403b accounts) are welcome at Capitalize
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT GAURAV * As you can tell from the great accent, Gaurav grew up in Australia. * He studied abroad in the US while in college. * After returning home, he realized there was so much about the United States he liked and wanted to move here to start his business after graduating. * He worked on Wall Street in 2008, amidst the biggest financial meltdown in 80 years, with a focus on advising banks and financial institutions. * From there, he transitioned into the investment world. There he learned that wealthy folks have the access to the best resources and tools. This should not be the reality and there is an opportunity to serve people at levels of finance. This was a motivator behind starting the company, Capitalize. * He wanted to make finance less intimidating and more accessible, which is exactly what we at the gym are passionate about and love to hear!
Questions from Bevin:
* Best financial advice you’ve ever gotten?
Keep it simple. (When it comes to investing)
You often feel like you should be doing more, but in reality, the simplest approach has stood the test of time. Hands off, participate in the market growing over time and get the basics right. You can grow and compound without having to stress about it daily.
* What do you want to do when you retire? Gaurav personally doesn’t have the goal of retiring early, or even at all. He enjoys all of his work and pursuits but hopes to be able to travel more in the future while continuing to do this work and have more great conversations with amazing folks like Bevin.
Check out Capitalize
Instagram: @hicapitalize
Website: https://www.hicapitalize.com/
Meet The Trainer
Bevin Morgan
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts Jenny Harp, a Denver-based Level 3 Financial Trainer, and Kadri Austin, and they are going to Gymsplain the different types of Employer Stock Compensation Plans.
Here are some terms you may have seen which they will discuss:
- ESPP - Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- RSU - Restricted Stock Units
- Employee Stock Options
- ISO - Incentive Stock Options
- NQO - Non Qualified Stock Options
- Exercise
- Grant Price
- Market Price
- Capital Gains Taxes
- Vested vs Unvested
Mentioned In This Episode:
Blog Post: Investing Options with Your Employer
Podcast: Cryptocurrency Decrypted
Meet The Trainers
Jenny Harp - NYC
Kadri Augustin
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Sara Willi, a Washington, DC-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Gym client Courtney Jonsson. Courtney is a NASM certified personal trainer and the founder of Maiden Resistance, and they are going to talk about her journey to create a safe space for women to work out and how the excuses we make for our fitness routines are affecting (and are the same for) our finances.
Connect with Courtney
Website: www.maidenresistance.com.
Facebook: @maiden.resistance
Instagram: @maiden.resistance
TikTok: @maiden.resistance
Meet The Trainer
Sara Willi
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Victoria Sechrist, a Boston-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Gym client Dr. Rebecca Smith, and they are going to talk about mindset around personal finances. Dr. Rebecca Smith is a clinical psychologist in private practice in New Orleans, LA. You can listen to her weekly podcast, “The Mindset Shift,” to hear guided meditations designed to help you train your mind to work for you.”
Connect with Dr. Rebecca Smith, PhD
Website: TheMindsetShift.co (yep it’s co not com)
Podcast: The Mindset Shift on Apple Podcasts
Sign up for the newsletter here!
Meet The Trainer
Victoria Sechrist
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Victoria Seachrist, a Boston-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by fellow trainer Georgina Muri, a Brooklyn-based Financial trainer, and they are going to talk about Impact Investing and what that means.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Financially Naked Episode - Impact Investing with Georgina
Tariq Fancy - The Secret Diary of a ‘Sustainable Investor’ — Part
Check out our recent blog series for more reading:
- Responsible Investing, Part 1: 6 Terms to Know
- Responsible Investing Part 2: 4 Ways to Start Investing Responsibly
Meet The Trainers
Victoria Sechrist - NYC
Georgina Muri - NYC
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Brianna Phillips, a Brooklyn-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Allison Sesso, Executive Director of RIP Medical Debt. They are going to talk about medical debt and what to look out for, helpful hints in handling it and the amazing work they do.
RIP Medical Debt is an organization that takes donation dollars and uses them to buy medical debt and provide relief for as many people as they can. Allison explains a little more about their process, some misconceptions on medical debt, and strategies for dealing with it.
Mentioned in the Episode
Emergency Medical Services: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
RIP Medical Debt on HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Connect with RIP Medical Debt
Website: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
Twitter: @RIPMedicalDebt
Instagram: @ripmedicaldebt
Meet The Trainer
Brianna Phillips - NYC
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Bevin, a Lexington, KY-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Gym client Christina Cotham of Formula Fund ATX. They are going to talk about the mutual aid group Christina has started within her community to help connect families with the baby formula they need, and how she did it!
“Mutual aid is when everyday people get together to meet each other’s needs, with the shared understanding that the systems we live in are not meeting our needs and that we can meet them together, right now, without having to pressure power structures to do the right thing.” -What is Mutual Aid? - UGA Social Work
Resources Mentioned
Austin Mutual Aid Facebook Group
Random Three Questions
- What is your favorite phone app?
Breathe (Google Play, Apple Store) - If it was your last night on earth, what would your final meal be?
Mixed feast of Asian dumplings - What is a book that has inspired you?
Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown
Connect with Christina & Formula Fund ATX
Facebook: facebook.com/formulafundatx
Instagram: @formulafund_atx
Linktree: @formulafundatx
E-mail: formulafundatx@gmail.com
Meet The Trainer
Bevin Morgan
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Terri, a Brooklyn-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by lawyer Karina VanHouten, and they are going to talk about the importance of prenuptial agreements.
The information provided on this episode does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content are for general informational purposes only and does create an attorney-client relationship.
Karina practices family law in Manhattan and in her free time, she volunteers with CitySquash, a not-for-profit organization serving young people in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Karina’s training and experience in a variety of private client matters, including complex trust, estate and tax planning, residential real estate transactions, and negotiating agreements, gives her the breadth of knowledge necessary to meet the challenges of our divorce and family law practice.
Connect with Karina
Website: https://www.rowerllc.com/
Bio: https://www.rowerllc.com/karina-vanhouten
Meet The Trainer
Terri Bennett
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Randi DeGraw, a New Jersey-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by her husband Anthony to discuss the journey of mixing their finances during their 12-years together; moving in together, engagement, wedding, two children and buying a house! They give some tips, advice and suggestions on some of the many ways to organize your finances but that the key is communication.
Connect with Anthony
LinkedIn: Anthony DeGraw
Twitter: @anthonyjdegraw
Facebook: Anthony DeGraw
Discussions by Domain Podcast: www.go-domain.com/podcast
Meet The Trainer
Randi DeGraw
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Jenny Harp and Tina Hang, New York-based Financial Trainers, and they are going to talk about the basics of retirement Savings.
Meet The Trainers
Jenny Harp
Tina Hang
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Syndey Kobell, an Austin-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Gym client and WarmUp Caller Julie Kron, and they are going to talk about egg freezing and the related costs.
Freezing your eggs can be an emotional and stressful journey for many reasons as you make a choice for your future, including financial. Sydney and Julie share their stories including what they learned about preparing for this process, the associated costs, and provide some advice on what to consider and options to look into.
Julie recommends this episode of Martinis & Your Money as a great resource for some additional information: Martinis And Your Money - The Fertility Advantage With Dr Raquel Hammond
Meet The Trainer
Sydney Kobell
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Terri, a Brooklyn-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Gym client Caitlin Crews, and they are going to talk about moving back home with her parents to help reach her goals.
After years of living in NYC and paying rent along with all the other expenses that come with city living, Caitlin decided to move home during the pandemic and start saving to buy a house. Listen to her story and see how she is on track to save up a down payment after one year of living at home with her parents!
Connect with Caitlin
Instagram: @caitlincrews
Meet The Trainer:
Terri Bennett
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Terri Bennett, a Brooklyn-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by fellow “Jersey Girl” Derby Chukwudi to talk about the importance of financial literacy and community.
Derby tells us how she learned about money at a young age and realized the importance of financial education. Knowledge can open up so many more opportunities, which in turn can improve life. Now working as an Analyst at JP Morgan, she also makes sure to give back to the community mostly through education in finance; since she saw firsthand the benefits of community working together.
Derby Chukidi is also running for Miss New Jersey USA on July 27th. **Vote on Miss New Jersey USA website for People’s Choice Awards: https://missnewjerseyusa.com/
Learn more about Berea College - focused on making higher education accessible to everyone
Connect with Derby
LinkedIn: Derby Chukwudi
Instagram: @derbychukwudi___
Website: https://ajalaathetraveler.com/
Blog: Writings of Ajala
Meet The Trainer
Terri Bennett
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Myriam, a Brooklyn-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Mark Zauss, LMHC, and they are going to talk about how alcohol can affect your finances.
Monument is an online platform for those looking to change their relationship with alcohol. Mark Zauss, who is a therapist at Monument, and has over 12 years of experience as a licensed mental health counselor. To explore how drinking less can improve your finances, physical and mental health, relationships, and more, visit joinmonument.com.
Connect with Mark & Monument
Website: https://www.markzausscounselor.com/
Monument: joinmonument.com
Instagram: @joinmonument
Facebook: @joinmonument
Meet The Trainer
Myriam Robinson
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our hosts are Kadri Augustin, a New York-based Financial Trainer, and Kylie Lipinski, a DC-based Financial Trainer and they are going to talk about the basics of investing.
Meet The Trainers
Kadri Augustin
Kylie Lipinski
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Chandra Savage, a New York-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Gym client Erin McClarty, and they are going to talk about starting and growing your own business.
Erin is a licensed attorney who left her high-paying position to start her own business as a Social Impact Architect working with clients to understand what their story is, how to embed it into their projects and bring it to reality, blending purpose with profit. Through her design strategy and legal practice, she works with people to connect the dots between their social impact goals and creating, forming, and designing their organization. Having been through it herself Erin has learned about obstacles in starting a business and discusses what she learned and how she supports others on their journey with her Financial Trainer Chandra on this episode.
Connect with Erin
Get more information on working with Erin on her website: Erin McClarty, PLLC
Check out Erin’s blog: http://www.notationsonnonprofits.com/
Erin’s Spotify playlist: Making Waves
Instagram: @mcclarty03
LinkedIn: Erin McClarty PLLC
Meet The Trainer
Chandra Savage
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Hector Lopez, L.A.-based Financial Trainer, and he is joined by his coworker, Garrett Faulconer, to discuss Bitcoin.
Podcast Notes
- Around 2017, when Bitcoin was starting to get hot and was around $10,000, Garrett opened a Coinbase account and invested in it. After that, the value of Bitcoin fell dramatically. He still has that investment to remind himself to research things more thoroughly.
- Hector bought into Ethereum first, which is a type of cryptocurrency. There is a lot of talk about cryptocurrency and it is easy to get swept up in it without fully understanding. Hector currently has .0003% of a Bitcoin.
- Recently, Bitcoin went past $61,000 per coin and it has already come down from that threshold. In a day it can drop thousands. Know what you are getting into and think long-term about it, if you are in a place to get invested in it.
- Tesla bought a significant amount crypto, and PayPay started experimenting with accepting Bitcoin as a payment. The Dallas Mavericks are allowing people to buy merchandise and tickets with Dogecoin. More and more financial companies and retailers are allowing cryptocurrency as payment.
- If you can’t sum up the core of cryptocurrency in a few sentences, you shouldn’t buy it. When you are looking to invest, know what you are investing in. Don’t get caught up in FOMO.
- Bitcoin: A digital currency that can be used to buy goods and services, but uses an online ledger with strong cryptography to secure online transactions. Crypto currencies work using block chain technology, which is a decentralized technology spread across many computers that manages and records transactions. Part of the appeal is that it is secure.
- There are more than 6,700 different types of cryptocurrencies available.
- There are only 21 million Bitcoins available. If you are purchasing Bitcoin, you are purchasing part of a collection. The intrinsic value is based on everyone else’s perception and valuation of that item. The more exclusive something is the more valuable it is.
- If you put $100 into Bitcoin, you get a percentage of it. If more people want it, the price will rise. It is getting a lot of traction, because big finance players are talking about it and buying it. Bitcoin is qualified as property for tax purposes, which carries a 28% tax.
- If nobody is interested in buying Bitcoin, the value is going to drop.
- If you are interested in buying Bitcoin, or other cryptocurrency, talk to your trainer and do some research.
- In order to track Bitcoin transactions, there is a digital ledger that is held by everyone. Everything is transparent and trust is a big part of it. This is how block chain works.
- Other popular cryptocurrency is Ethereum, which uses smart contracts. In the future, you may be able to buy a house with Bitcoin, but you write the mortgage contract with Ethereum. Dogecoin started off as a joke and is very approachable.
- An NFT means non fungible token. The main application is being a unique copy of digital art. It’s related to crypto currencies but it is different, but it uses block chain technology.
- Where can I buy crypto currency? Coinbase is the popular, mainstream exchange. Gemini is another platform that is getting more traction right now. When you are purchasing, understand what you are buying. When you purchase from Robinhood, you are purchasing a promise, because they are a third party seller.
- What are the tax implications? Crypto currencies are taxed as a property. If you buy Bitcoin for $10,000 and sell it for $13,000, your capital gains will be $3,000 and you will be taxed on those gains. If you sell it for $7,000, you will owe nothing and you are able to use the $3,000 loss to offset other gains. There is also a difference if you hold it for longer than a year versus less than a year.
- Is Bitcoin being used? Tesla, Square, and Visa bought into it. Adoption of it is becoming more and more apparent. Treat it as a serious thing.
- Cons of crypto currency? Price volatility. Recently it was at $61,000 and two days later, it was at $55,000. One person’s tweet can massively swing where this can go. If people are making money on it, it will be in the news, so beware.
- Are there hacking concerns? Something is safe, until it is not. Always be skeptical and have a backup, emergency plan. Have a healthy level of skepticism. There are online wallets that are more encrypted where you can store your crypto. It isn’t secured by SIPC, which insures brokerage accounts up to $500,000.
- When it comes to crypto currency and single stocks, only allocate a small amount of your investments to it, like 5%.
Meet The Trainers
Hector Lopez
Garrett Faulconer
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Hailey Lott, a Financial Gym client, and she is going to talk about being financially smart.
- Hailey is a Peak Performance meditation specialist, functional ability yoga instructor, and a sound and breath work facilitator. She supports people in recognizing the beliefs, thought patterns, and habits that are no longer working for them.
- Hailey is an entrepreneur and she started her business five years ago, and she has gone through all of them ups and downs of entrepreneurship life. The biggest lesson she learned last year was she hit her goal of making over six figures for the first time in her business, but she hadn’t saved and she didn’t have anything to show for it.
- Hailey knew she had to get serious about her finances so she could save up for travel, buying a home, and an emergency fund (which she didn’t know she needed). She was very resistant, because she was terrified. She told herself that she wouldn’t be able to figure it out and that belief held her back.
- If we want to change our minds and our lives, we need to do something different. Hailey didn’t know what she was doing, she didn’t have the support, and she didn’t know where to start.
- Hailey was introduced to The Financial Gym from a few people talking about it and she saw an ad online. She wanted to have something to show for what she was doing in her business.
- If you want to start, take the action and know it is okay to have the worries or doubt. The most important thing to do is to take action until it becomes the new normal and a subconscious habit that you don’t have to think about.
- Hailey’s financial trainer is Victoria and there was so much she didn’t know. When she started uncovering these areas, the limiting beliefs got louder. Hailey decided to try The Gym for three months.
- After the first meeting, once she sent Victoria the information she needed, they scheduled the planning meeting. Hailey felt very safe, supported, and able to ask questions.
- The planning meeting felt exciting and overwhelming. The plan was over 20 pages long and everything was explained, like saving for emergencies, taxes, future travel, and other things that are important and fun for her. Victoria gave Hailey goals and ways to make those goals a reality.
- Hailey emails Victoria every week with different financial questions, and there is now a feeling of ease around her finances. She is two months in and she already feels more confident. This has brought the awareness she needed to start budgeting. It now feels like a fun game, because she has savings.
- Hailey has more savings than ever, because she made a decision to get support from The Gym. This works as long as you make the effort and follow through.
- If you want more when it comes to your finances, join The Financial Gym.
Connect with Hailey
Website: haileylott.com
Instagram: @haileylott_
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Mike Poulin, DC-based Financial Trainer, and he is joined by David and John, The Debt Free Guys, to talk about the queer community and finances.
- John and David have been together for 18 years. They didn’t have any conversations about money until a year and a half after they were together when they had a financial “aha” moment.
- They were both working in financial services helping people save for retirement and save for their kids’ college and they weren’t doing this themselves.
- Looking at buying land to build a vacation home in Colorado led them to coming clean with each other about having $51,000 in credit card debt. They both thought the other one had their financial act together and it was a deflating realization.
- After this, they had a discussion to figure out how they each got to this point. They itemized expenses for the past 12 months and it gave them clarity, and they realized what they were spending on was not bringing them happiness.
- Now that we are able to socialize and places are opening up, many people are scared that they will go back to old habits and lose the progress they made financially over the last year.
- When you find what matters most to you, it will be motivation to continue on. Find a healthy balance between socializing and meeting your financial goals. Most people just want to spend time with friends and family, and it doesn’t have to involve spending money.
- In 2019, John and David wrote an article for Forbes, called The LGBT Community Faces These 5 Financial Challenges. Since then, not much has changed, as the LGBTQ community has been more adversely affected by the pandemic than the general population.
- A significant positive change that has happened in the last 12 to 18 months is more LGBTQ people have been joining the financial discussion. Having a conversation is the first step in pursuing financial independence.
- The biggest challenge John and David see is credit card debt, student loan debt, and lack of retirement savings. No demographic is really doing great in those categories, but the LGBTQ population has been struggling more.
- 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ and there are many others that graduate high school and live at home in unhealthy environments.
- The earlier you get started with saving, the confidence level you have to ask for what you are worth at a job will affect you the rest of your life. The legacy effect of what happens when you are excluded from your family, or unsupported, makes a major impact. For kids that figure out who they are at a young age, and don’t have support, it is much harder.
- Mike has started UTMA accounts (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) for his nieces and nephews, and he deposits money into those accounts instead of giving them gifts. Doing something like this sets the foundation for smart money conversations with kids.
- 65% of LGBTQ people surveyed said they had been adversely affected financially by the pandemic versus 50% of the general public. There are a lot of LGBTQ people who are struggling financially, and because of the mental state that puts them in, it may trap them in a spending spiral.
- If you are in this spiral and are struggling financially, get crystal clear on what it is you most want and start to spend and live your life accordingly, by looking for tools and resources to help you. Look for a support group. There are a lot of groups online that are free.
- A lot of people have an aversion to spending money to get help financially. Those who have joined the credit card payoff course The Debt Free Guys offer have benefited far more than what they paid. Trainers at The Gym have Financial Trainers.
- John and David both came from times and places when it wasn’t okay to be gay. When they were each first independent, they tried to make up for the past by spending on looking fabulous. They felt they would be ostracized if they didn’t live up to the stereotype and they spent beyond their means to live that way.
- Your lifestyle doesn’t need to look like a baller. The way we disguise our need for acceptance can look really good. Sometimes it looks like generosity. What is the motivation for doing what you truly do and are you spending in a way that is an emotional drag.
Connect with The Debt Free Guys
Social Media: @debtfreeguys
Podcast: Queer Money Podcast
Website: debtfreeguys.com
Meet The Trainer
Mike Poulin
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Victoria Sechrist, a Boston-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Gym client Samantha Peller, and they are going to talk about saving to be a voice over artist.
- A voice over actor only uses their voice and includes jobs such as commercials, animated characters, audiobooks, and online trainings.
- Samantha started her career as an actress doing musical theater, which was her major in college. She also has done some on camera work as well. Eventually she ended up being a creative arts therapist.
- Her career also led her to do trainings and she used her voice for the e-learnings her employer was producing. Someone at her work asked her if she had ever considered doing voice over acting.
- During COVID, with all of the theaters shut down, there was a huge move for actors to go into voice over acting, because you can do it in a home studio. Samantha was already interested in this before COVID.
- Voice over actors tend to get into it because someone says they have a good voice. When you go down the path, you quickly learn that voice acting has nothing to do with the quality of your voice and everything to do with the way you interpret the script in front of you.
- A lot of the training for voice over actors is learning to tap into the truth of the story you are telling. If you have a nice voice, that is icing on the cake.
- Everyone who gets into voice acting has a nice voice, but it is more of how they connect with the audience. Not everyone can reach somebody very deeply just using the power of their voice.
- Samantha had been working with a financial advisor for about two years and she learned a lot from him, but she wanted to move to more of a community environment and be at a more supportive place, and for these reasons she was drawn to The Gym.
- Samantha’s first trainer was Stella and she set her up with a plan that laid out how to save for short-term goals. She opened high-yield savings accounts and named them to make them more meaningful.
- One of those accounts is her voice over dream fund. Some equipment that voice over artists need to buy include a microphone ($200 to $400 to start), headphones ($100 to $200), a way to treat your space (approximately $200), and your training ($50 to $2,000).
- A big expenses is your voice over demo. This is like your resume, which shows the work you can produce and different segments. This could include anything from a commercial demo to an animation demo, and the cost ranges from $1,000 to $3,000.
- There are a couple of different ways to get work. One way is direct marketing, which is to reach out to potential clients, like advertising agencies, producers, e-learning companies, audiobook companies, etc.
- The other way is a pay-to-play service, where you pay into a membership of a website and that website will allow you to get sent auditions that match up with your voice, depending on the algorithms.
- Voice actors do not need to memorize their lines and they are discouraged from doing so, because looking at the lines is another way to connect with them.
- Samantha would like to work her way up to hiring an editor to produce her work. Currently she is doing that work herself. Not only do you need to have your own studio, it is expected that artists be audio engineers as well. Samantha started out using Audacity, which is free, but she would like to use more advanced recording software.
- Samantha has a passion for children. Any project she can work on that is related to helping kids, like e-learning, animated projects, audio book, apps, etc., excites her.
- Starting out, it is recommended to try out all areas of voice over acting to see where you fit. The jobs you are booking regularly will further define the path to head down.
- Samantha is part of a community called Voice Actors NYC, which is mostly Facebook based. This community has shown her that being a voice actor in a Disney movie is attainable if you keep down the path.
Random Three Questions
- If you got one million dollars tomorrow, what would you do?
- What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?
- What is your favorite season?
Connect with Samantha
LinkedIn: Samantha Peller
Instagram: @soundslikesunshinevoiceover
Meet The Trainer
Victoria Sechrist
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Myriam Robinson, Brooklyn-based Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Harper Spero, business coach, to talk about business coaching for small businesses.
- Harper was born and raised in New York and spent the first 10 years of her career in marketing, events, PR, and digital media. She kept changing jobs trying to find something bigger and better with higher pay.
- Almost every August Harper realized she was unhappy with her job and by October she was in a new job. She did this eight times.
- In 2012, Harper was on medical leave for several months, due to a health crisis, and she realized the job she was in was not right for her. From there, she went to work for a small event production company, where she produced events for non-profits and health and wellness brands.
- There were only four people at the company and Harper felt like they were making a big impact. She knew this would be her last job before she became an entrepreneur.
- After two years at that job, Harper enrolled in a nine-month coaching training program, because being a mentor and accountability buddy came naturally to her.
- In 2014, Harper was able to freelance for her company while she launched her own business. She started as a life coach and then pivoted toward career transition coaching.
- A life coach is interested in moving you forward versus digging into the past like a therapist. A career coach is going to help you identify where you are in your career, what’s working, what isn’t working, what are the roadblocks, if is there a ceiling and how do you break that ceiling, etc. They are there to support you along the way and figure out what needs to be done to get your career to the next level.
- Harper helps people develop their business idea, launch that business, and build that business. She has worked with clients in all phases of their businesses and is their accountability partner.
- In January 2020, Harper decided to offer coaching in a group setting. This allows business owners to not only work with her but also to have a network of other people to brainstorm with and ask questions because regardless of the type of business, all responsibilities of running a business are on the entrepreneur.
- Success does not happen overnight. It is important to think through a long-term strategy and understand that you may need to pivot over time. As you learn your demographic, you will better understand how to serve their needs. It is valuable to have a coach to guide you through this both for accountability and for the loneliness you may experience.
- Entrepreneurs need to have a lot of motivation and drive, and it is important to know what you are willing to do yourself and what you should outsource. Passion for your product or service is also necessary.
- Everyone’s version of success is different, and it is important to evaluate this as you go so you stay on track.
- It is important to say yes to a lot of things when you get started. Later, it is important to figure out if what you are doing is something that drives your business forward.
Random Three Questions
- What is your favorite app on your phone?
- Beach or mountains?
- Burger or hotdog?
Connect with Harper
Website: harperspero.com
Instagram/Twitter: harper_spero
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/harperspero
Meet The Trainer
Myriam Robinson
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Joy Liu, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, and she is joined by her client, Anne Rowell, to discuss cultivating an abundance mindset to improve your finances.
- Anne lives in a small, rural town in Arizona, about 45 miles west of Phoenix and she has lived there for about 16 years. Her story starts with a huge transition in her life, which was a marriage that was ending.
- It took her a year to figure out how she was going to manage on her own. During this time, she stumbled upon a retreat organization called NINE Retreat and decided on a whim that she was going to attend. The retreat is a community of women supporting women and she thought she would benefit.
- Anne spent three days soaking up wisdom and knowledge from other women going through similar and different life events. One of the speakers talked about how she joined The Financial Gym.
- Anne didn’t have a lot of knowledge about money and she wanted to start supporting herself and have more security. It took her six months after the retreat to contact The Gym. She has a son at home and two daughters in their 20s who are on their own.
- Anne signed up at The Gym, because there was a money-back guarantee and she was connected with Joy. During the first session, it sounded to Joy like Anne was embarking on a personal development journey. She could tell that Anne was at the start of a new chapter.
- Prior to joining The Gym, Anne had a “winging it” mindset. Growing up, her family didn’t talk about money, because it was just taken care of by her parents. This continued into her marriage, and her husband managed the money. They lived paycheck to paycheck and if something came up, they would take care of it with the next paycheck.
- Anne had a scarcity mindset when she started at The Gym. She knew the $500 she had in her savings account was all she had. Anne was realizing that everyone is responsible for themselves financially and she wanted to be able to make it on her own.
- When she started, she had $2,000 in cash, some retirement savings, and stock from her company. She had $1,000 in credit card debt, some student loan debt, and an average credit score. Anne had $400 taken out of each paycheck for retirement, but no emergency fund. This is a common position for Gym clients when they start.
- Knowing that her daughters were starting out and beginning relationships, as a parent, she wanted to give them more wisdom and be an example for them. She didn’t want them to be in the same boat as her 20 years down the road.
- Anne’s first goal was to be at a place where she didn’t rely on the child support she received from her ex-husband, because it would end in four years. Having Joy lay out her finances and budget for her made it clear about the changes she needed to make.
- Anne started saving $500 a month in her emergency fund, which is about the amount she received in child support.
- Anne listens to the Chase Jarvis podcast and on one episode he interviewed a guest that was practicing changing their language. The guest felt like having an emergency fund invited emergencies into their lives, so they changed it to an abundance fund. This shifted the guest’s mindset from scarcity to abundance. The money is there if it is needed.
- The first goal Gym trainers give clients is to save an emergency fund, because it changes your outlook on your finances.
- Anne has been able to pay her rent two months in advance, set up a travel account, and set up a house savings account. Now she always has $2,000 to $3,000 in her checking account.
- Anne increased her amount in savings by $20,000 in the last two years. She has since also bought a car and furniture, contributed to a school scholarship fund, and she was able to give her kids some things and pay for dinners out.
- Anne has been receiving small raises and bonuses at work. As her abundance account was growing and as she was growing more secure, she felt confident speaking up at work about raises and more responsibility.
- In a couple of years, Anne and her son are going to move and she may do something different with her career. When we feel enslaved to the paycheck and job, it can be counterproductive to how we work.
- Actionable tips: think about your wins, reframe your emergencies into positives, and pay it forward. Take your financial plan to heart and have good communication with your trainer.
Random Three Questions
- What have you been bingeing to get you through the pandemic?
- If you won the mega millions, what would you do with your time and money?
- If this was your last night on earth, what would you eat?
Connect with Anne
Instagram: @annerowell
Meet The Trainer
Joy Liu
- Gina started with The Gym two years ago as a client with her now ex-husband. They were managing their student loan debt, credit card debt from the wedding, and also making two salaries which they weren’t used to.
- They wanted to find better ways to manage their money as newlyweds and they were paired with Joy. A year into her membership, March 2020, Gina went through a divorce. Joy helped her handle her finances before, during, and after her divorce.
- When you come in as a couple, you record all of your numbers together, including income, expenses, and debt. At the time, they each had their own credit card and a joint credit card, and they made sure they were allocating money to pay both joint and individual debts. They were never taught how to do this before, and the plan helped.
- They streamlined their checking and savings account. They opened a joint, high-yield savings account through Marcus for their emergency fund and they were trying to save up three to six months of expenses.
- Joy gave them a variable spend goal, which was the money they should be paying toward their bills, savings, and debt, and anything left over was their spending. They each had $200 a week to spend on what they needed like groceries and dog food. Gina felt empowered to have that weekly spend goal, because she didn’t have that before.
- They stuck to the plan as best as they could. Your plan is a living, breathing document and things will change. As they were working through their plan, her husband decided to leave his full-time job, and Gina picked up a second job to supplement their income. Joy was there and she adjusted their spending goals. Every time there was a quarterly review, Joy gave them feedback on how they were doing.
- When they decided to get a divorce, they needed to figure out how to separate their money. Gina was working two jobs, one of which was as a college admissions counselor and the other as a sales specialist with Peloton part time.
- While going through the divorce, Gina quit her full-time job, because she was living near the school and she had to move out of her apartment and back in with her parents.
- Gina’s expenses changed, her income changed, and her whole life situation changed. Her part-time job with Peloton was four days a week, hourly plus commission. Some months were good and others weren’t. Joy was with her every step of the way, which was the most beneficial part of her Gym membership.
- Since she has been working with Joy, and working at The Gym since January, her finances have never been better. She and her ex struggled to save an emergency fund, and now she has a fully funded account. Gina was recently approved for an apartment in Long Beach, New York, after a year of living at home with her parents.
- If you are working with a trainer as a client, it will take time to get there, but if you keep your head down and work toward it, you will get there.
Instagram: @yourbffgina
- One thing people with ADHD may have is more intense impulse control. Self-awareness and self-acceptance is important, in order to recognize the things that are calling to you.
- Take a few breaths and try to stretch out that moment between impulse and action. Institute a waiting period for purchases and having an accountability partner. Make a list of items you are looking to buy and plan for gifts you want to buy.
- There is a lot of help out there. The social work lens is that the person isn’t the problem, society is the problem. There is nothing wrong with people with ADHD, society is set up in a rigid way that makes it hard to navigate if you don’t fit into the boxes. There is a lot of shame for people who don’t fit into the world as it was created and a shame avoidance cycle can be created, which creates more shame and debt.
- Amalia feels like her financial trainer, Jenny, is her financial therapist. We weren’t born with all of the tools we need to manage finances successfully on our own. Society is built on instant gratification with advertising and stimulation and it is difficult to pause first.
- Behavior is a message, it isn’t random. Procrastination is rooted in fear and avoidance. If we can figure out the root, we can address the behavior changes. Usually we stay focused on the behavior and beat ourselves up about it and end up in a shame spiral, when really we need to look at what you are scared of.
- Often, we know what we are doing isn’t working anymore, but it is all we have ever known. We know we want to evolve and change, but it is scary and we don’t know another way, which leads to self-sabotage.
- Net worth does not reflect your self-worth. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, so many people don’t know what they are doing with their finances.
- Children come into this world with unlimited amounts of love and trust and they believe what they are told. Without an adult filter, comments can really affect the way children feel about themselves. Neurodiverse individuals hear things their entire lives like they are a mess, unorganized, all over the place, etc. That become real and they need to unlearn those messages as adults.
- ADHD looks chaotic and it starts to feel homey and normal, but debilitating and overwhelming. Brené Brown talks about shame shutting us down, because the fear of being judged. Have weekly checkins with someone who can guide you through the space until it starts to feel less overwhelming.
- At The Gym, even if you come into the financially naked session with nothing, that’s okay. Just show up.
- Things that may help are automating your bills and savings.
- Sometimes we know what we need to do to stop the chaos, but it can be overwhelming. Peace can feel scary if we’ve never experienced it. Living with ADHD in a world that is constantly saying something is wrong with you is traumatic. Nothing is wrong with you because you need extra help. A lot of people deal with this.
- We need to rewrite the stories we tell ourselves. Having someone who encourages you and is your cheerleader is powerful. Go to the core of “who am I?” and “what do I want?”. Your goals are attainable.
- We all start with “I am beyond help”. Having an external voice saying “that’s not true” is powerful. Eventually, you are able to do that for yourself. Reach out for help, send a text, instead of acting on an impulse.
- A lot of people with ADHD are creative and curious and interested in many different things. Oftentimes they are flexible and quick to adapt. People with ADHD typically just need a container and help building a system, so they can create freely and do all of the things they are here to do.
Connect with Amalia
Instagram: @amaliasirica
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Kadri Augustin, Brooklyn-based Financial Trainer, and he is joined by his colleague, Terri Bennett, to talk about parents and finances.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Victoria, Financial Trainer, and she is joined by her sister, Haley, and Haley’s financial trainer, Nick, to discuss why it is difficult to take financial advice from family members. Show notes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode69
Victoria Sechrist speaks with her client, Liz Dederer who is the founder and CEO of Selling With Service. She empowers women to use their voice to make money and create change! Liz discusses The Four Currencies of Conversations and the difference between people who are "hard currency" vs "soft currency." Recognizing your dominant currency is helpful for both business and personal relationships.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode68
This episode is hosted by Mike Poulin as he talks with Rebekkah Holleman, Client Experience Associate. March is Developmental Disabilities awareness month, which was started by President Ronald Regan in 1987. Rebekkah previously worked in the disability field and has a brother who lives with her that has an autism diagnosis and he was the reason she joined The Gym as a client originally. Philip is Rebekkah’s younger brother by 13 months and they have always been very close. He is is affected by social situations, managing money, change, and he gets overwhelmed when there is a lot going on around him. He likes cats and reading books. When saving for an emergency fund, it is important to remember there is a dollar amount a person with disabilities can have, and anything over that amount impacts SSI payments. Rebekkah will talk about emergency funds forever, because they are so important. She recommends keeping copies of everything you fill out and send to Social Security and following up on what you’ve sent in.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode67
Our host is Myriam Robinson, Financial Trainer, and she is joined by FinGym client, Ali Krupnik, founder of MyWellCo, to discuss remote wellness and morning habits. Ali shares the 7 principles for establishing a morning routine and other tips about taking care of yourself and not constantly feeling like you are burned out.
Employee #1 and Head of Trainer Development at The Gym, Bridget Todd, is joined by her client, Ben Sargent. He is a CPA and owner of Sargent CPAs. They talk about paying taxes as a someone who is a contractor or a freelancer.
- People who are self-employed are more aware of paying taxes than someone who gets a W-2. People who get W-2s tend to do well with Turbo Tax or boxed software, because there isn’t much to their taxes.
- When you are self-employed, you need to pay your own taxes. You need to be aware of how much you will owe and set money aside. It is important to be aware of the tax deductions and credits you can take.
- In 2020, there were a number of stimulus programs, and unemployment, that interact with freelance income. There are paid leave tax credits related to COVID relief provisions. This includes freelancers who were not able to work due to having COVID or who were caring for someone who had COVID. It also includes freelancers with small children who couldn’t work because school was closed.
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode65
The biggest thing to helping your children is bringing them into the fold of your everyday finances. Get yourself on track and have good conversations. Break the mindset that money shouldn’t be talked about and make good decisions. Financial Trainers Garrett and Randi provide tips and anecdotes about talking to your kids from toddler age to college-aged kids about money.
Financial Trainers London and Bevin have a conversation about creating generational wealth in the Black community. Black people are in a place where they hold less than 15% of wealth as white people, and it is now mathematically impossible for them to catch up without some sort of systemic change. They discuss how an emergency fund is a way to get out of survival mode; the Black Tax as part of survivor’s guilt and thinking about what future needs are and put money aside for later. Bevin mentions that the goal is not to look wealthy, the goal is to be wealthy.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode63
Today our host is Columbus McKinney, DC-based Financial Trainer and entrepreneur, and he is joined by his colleague, Kylie Lipinski, to discuss overcoming debt. They talk about reasons people have debt, tips to get out of it and Columbus talks about his own debt-free journey.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode62
Today our host is Kadri Augustin, Financial Trainer, and he is joined by Melissa Blatt, founder and CEO of Indipop, to discuss healthshares.
In a healthshare, if a medical need occurs, depending on the plan, you have a different responsibility amount. In most cases, this is up to three times for an individual. After you pay your responsibility, the cost is shared with the community. This is more concierge medicine, where you have a team of people helping you get the right care at a fair cost.
Each plan is unique, some give you an insurance card and use a network. Others you call before you seek treatment and the team can help you with your medical need.
Healthshares are experiencing growth, and Indipop curates them.
Melissa wants to offer different plans with different features, and she eventually wants to add standalone dental and vision plans. Her goal is to offer simple and affordable options.
Our host is Ornella Yovo, New York-based Financial Trainer and entrepreneur, and she is joined by Hannah Smolinski, founder and CEO of Clara CFO Group, to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Our Trainer Mike Poulin is joined by his client, Renee Nguyen, who decided to join The Gym after graduating law school and wanting to get her finances in order. After doing some research and talking to her coworkers, she realized she wasn’t making as much as her peers. She talked to Mike about negotiating her salary and the 2 of them came up with some tactics she could use to negotiate for a raise. She went on some interviews to get an idea of salary range for her position in her city and that’s where she found the most compelling numbers. She spoke to attorneys about what their associates made at the three-to-five year timeframe, and she heard it over and over. Renee scheduled a meeting to talk to her boss about her salary when she had an offer from another company. If she got a no, she had a backup plan and that gave her confidence. Renee asked about a performance evaluation and she didn’t say anything about the other offer. She received glowing reviews, but she got the idea that a raise wasn’t going to happen. A week later, she put in her notice and her firm asked her to stay and they met the offer. She realized her worth and value to the firm was what another firm was willing to pay her. Renee stayed with her firm and she continued to keep her options open. Some of the interviews she had gone on before panned out months later and she eventually took a better offer with another firm.
February 11, 2021 is AAPI (American Asian Pacific Islander) Equal Pay Day. It marks how many more days AAPI women need to work to make up their pay compared to what their white male counterparts made in 2020.
Emily Egan, Business Development Manager at The Gym has been a consistent donator to community fridges during the pandemic and wanted to learn about the upfront costs of starting a community friedges, the benefots (financial and otherwise) of a fridge and what the future of community friedges might be. To answer her questions, she speaks to Asmeret Berhe-Lumax, a fashion and beauty executive and founder of One Love Community Fridge in Brooklyn, NY. Fridges, or "freedges," can be found all over big cities and people can help themselves to whatever they need. The concept behind the fridges is simple. It’s not charity, it is mutual aid. It is the idea of a two-way solution and solidarity support.
People always have questions about financial plans. What does it look like? How do I use it? What if I can't get to everything??
To answer these questions and more, Trainers Crystal and Nick talk about the plan, how the Trainers typically approach writing the plan and how Trainers aid their clients in starting to achieve the goals written in the plan. If you have ever wondered about The Gym or wondered about a Plan would work for you and your current financial situation, this episode will answer those questions.
Mellie is a client of The Gym and her paying off her student loans is one of her main goals and main reasons for becoming a client. Mellie talks about her experience managing her under grad and grad school student loans, being the first in her fmaily to graduate from college and what the current student loan pause has meant for her. Terri, a Gym Trainer, is a former teacher and familiar with student loans on a teaching salary.
If you are trying to make changes in your life, it is important to form new habits and create space for them. At The Gym, Trainers help clients create new financial practices and systems to monitor that the practices are happening. Mike and Terri talk about systems that work for them to create new habits and discuss what to do when you feel overwhelmed by tasks.
Emily Egan, PR Manager at The Gym is joined by @JohnEFinance to discuss how he grew a following of 800K people on TikTok by sharing personal finance related videos and tips.
As Trainers, Victoria, Sara and Kadri get asked all the time about their favorite budgeting apps. There isn’t one perfect money management app but the trio discusses a bunch of different apps and their pros and cons. Apps discussed: Mint, TrackIt, Personal Capital, YNAB (You Need a Budget), Cashflowy, and Dollarbird.
This week Trainer Kadri Agustin speaks to Dr. Leslie Faerstein Ed.D., LCSW. They discuss worrying about finances during this pandemic; guilt those with jobs may have; worrying about the health and wellness of others. Dr. Leslie Faerstein also discusses the concept of 're-framing' and other tools to assist you during this time.
When Katina Mountanos, author of On Adulting, got to adulthood, she thought the whole purpose was to be happy 24/7, and she thought she was going to achieve all the things she set out to achieve. Katina and FinGym Trainer Sara Belhourari discuss why Millennials and Gen Z have been trained to seek happiness all the time. Katina suggests that people should instead, shift that mindset and 'become friends' with their feelings and recognize clues to understand what they want and what values they want to live by.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode50
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Ornella Yovo, Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Ryan Granville, from Xpert Financial Care, and they are going to talk about small business and taxes.
Ryan talks about the questions you should ask when hiring a bookkeeper; the rights you have if operate as a freelancer or sole proprietor; and why many small businesses didn’t qualify for PPP funds and how they could qualify in the future.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode49
Our Trainer Victoria dives into the world of personal loans with Bobby Ritterbeck from Best Egg, #1 Consumer’s Choice for Personal Loans.
They discuss interest rates, fees and how to find out what your loan options are without it affecting your credit score.
If you're intimidated by getting started with a personal loan, this is the episode for you.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode48
Join Victoria as she discusses the relationship between the stock market and an election year. She speaks to the research BlackRock published on what happens when the incumbent, currently the Republican party, wins the presidential election. She also talks about your investment strategy and warns not to make portfolio decisions based on who is in the White House -- you are investing for more than just a four-year period. Your investment strategy needs to be based on your timeline and your goals.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode47
Moira, a FinGym client, started hosting through Airbnb in 2015. She has a 4.93 rating and over 100 five-star reviews! She has an Airbnb location called the Sedgwick Chalet in the Pocono Mountains and is about to open another house called Chalet Ramona. She speaks to Emily about how she got started with Airbnb, how she manages the homes, design, marketing and how she's expanded her business from a side hustle to more!
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode46
Only a few years out of college, Becca is has experienced layoffs twice. The last layoff was due to Covid.
Victoria and Becca discuss her savings plan while unemployed, how she's building her business, her business goals and how the creative community supports each other.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode45
Emily sits down with FinGym's Head of People, Carolyn McManus, to discuss all things wedding budget on the eve of her wedding anniversary.
Carolyn's best tips for budgeting for her wedding were: opening a joint checking account; making a list of three areas that were most important to her; opting for a DJ over a band and a buffet instead of a sit-down meal; hiring a Mister Softee ice cream truck instead of a catered dessert and not having a traditional wedding party.
Even though weddings and large events look different now, the ideas can be implemented to smaller parties and events.
Terri Bennett, FinGym Trainer dives into the world of first-time homebuying discussing all things mortgages, brokers and contracts. Joining her is Brent Bonner, SVP, Business Development at LemonBrew Technologies.
Terri and Brent chat about the checklist of steps to take when buying a home.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode43
Financial Trainer Tina Hang chats with our host, Emily, about how her money tree helps her tend to her goals.
Tina and Emily discuss:
- The history behind money trees
- How Tina’s tree growing parallels her money growing
- Money mindfulness
- How to find and care for a money tree
Our host is Hector Lopez, an LA-Based Financial Trainer. He is joined by his colleague, Garrett Faulconer to discuss their biggest money mistakes, money regrets and stories.
Some topics they discuss:
- Buying a used car while passing by and not being able to test drive it
- Investing in Bitcoin and all the money Garrett lost
- Overdoing it on subscription services and tech (gamers unite!)
- "Death by 1,000 cuts”.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode41
Due to the pandemic, Financial Trainer Crystal Martinez has been seeing life changes happening sooner with clients. This includes the mass exodus of clients from cities, buying homes earlier, buying cars to travel and career changes.
Crystal and Sara chat about the changes their clients are making and how to best prepare/ plan for them.
If you're feeling a little confused about where you are in life right now, this conversation will remind you that you're not alone in your feelings about the future.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode40
Ever get stuck on how to effectively use LinkedIn to network or get a new job?
Our guest today is Yai Vargas, a Diversity & Inclusion Consultant and a LinkedIn Networking Expert. Yai provides tactical tips on how to use the free version of LinkedIn so it helps you the most.
Emily and Yai discuss:
- Yai leaving her corporate career to create The Latinista
- The amount of money you should ideally have saved before leaving your job to work for yourself
- How the "Open For Work" banner on LinkedIn works
- Optimal days and times periods to post
- Organizational tools like Trello
- Negotiating for a job
- Yai's work as a diversity and inclusion strategist
Stacy had been cautious about working with a financial coach because she wanted to work with someone who understood her beliefs about God because he is first and foremost in her life. Victoria, her Financial Trainer, was the answer to her prayers.
Stacy and Victoria chat about:
- Trusting in God when making big decisions like Stacy recently did (like leaving her job without another one lined up).
- Being a health advocate and spending time with a loved one who is gravely ill
- Living with constant debt
Every try to do something on the cheap and it ends up costing you more money anda headache??
Hannah Rounds, a FinGym client talks to host Emily Egan about the costly mistakes she's made while trying to live frugally and tips she has to save now once looking back.
Hannah talks about:
- Construction on their Fixer Upper
- Cooking at home
- Saving money on childcare
- Transportation
Even in a time like we're in now, there are people who want to give, people who want to receive, and a lot of solutions to be found.
Having the right network positions you to succeed and a lot of us have become very solitary. Your network is your net worth financially and for your happiness.
Amy Ogden is a professional extrovert she speaks with host Bridget Todd about tips for talking to strangers to expand your network:
- Start by talking to people who are 'paid' to be nice to you, including baristas, retail store employees, servers, and anyone whose job is to interact with you.
- Use compliments and questions.
- Put your phone away and look your the person in the eye.
- Make direct eye contact
- Get to an in person networking event early
shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode36
Michelle and Luke are Financial Gym clients and the hosts of today's episode to talk about working for yourself.
Michelle is an entrepreneur and the founder of When I Grow Up Coach. Luke is a freelance writer. Michelle and Luke talk about the similarities and differences between freelancers and entreprenuers; their roles (Michelle is the breadwinner and Luke is the supplementer and 'teacher' for their daughter); the affordable care act, how Michelle grew her business; and how they work on their money together.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode35
When Financial Trainer Ornella started with The Gym in December 2019, she was also in the midst of opening a new restaurant, Mzizi Afro-Caribbean Eats, in Newark, New Jersey.
Ornella talks to our host, Emily, about the work and finances of opening a restaurant and the hard decisions she had to make in light of COVID-19.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode34
Chad and Adena Jones are clients of The Financial Gym and business owners of Another Lane, which is a digital marketplace for high net worth sneaker resellers. Their goal is to help these resellers get control of their collection and to help them buy and sell sneakers.
Chad and Adena worked with their Trainer Victoria to create a plan for how they could leave their full time jobs to work full time on Another Lane.
Trainer Jenny and her client Claire are back for Claire' second quarterly review. They talk life and savings during quarantine.
- How Claire doubled her savings from February to April by automating
- What Claire's been spending her money on during quarantine
- The goodness of spreadsheets for tracking
- How they want to spend their money once quarantine is 'over'
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Kristen, a freelance artist in Brooklyn, NY. She is joined by Sara B., Trainer at The Financial Gym and a certified life coach.
Kristen and Sara talk about 3 pillars that Kristen holds near to her: health, accountability and gratitude.
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode31
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Sam, Financial Gym client. She is joined by Mike, another Financial Gym client.
Mike discovered the love of the outdoors a couple years ago and set his eyes on the Appalachian Trail (AT). He followed many through hikers online, including Sam, and heard about the Martinis and Your Money podcast on her social media.
Finances and hiking are two of Sam’s passions. She hiked 2,000 miles of the trail in 2018 from Maine to Georgia. When she started at The Gym, her goal was to hike the AT which she completed in 2018.
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode30
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Emily Egan, PR Manager. She is joined by Financial Gym Trainer, Brenda Henry, mom to five-month-old Rory, and Financial Gym Recruiter, Ali Barnett, mom to one-year-old Aiden, to talk about mom hacks.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode29
Blair has worked in the hotel industry with Marriott for six years. For the past three years she was located in Washington D.C., in their headquarters. From the beginning, they knew they were going to be hit hard, but it cannot be compared to anything the company has experienced before.
Blair's Trainer Joy was the first person Blair reached out to when she was furloughed. She wanted to be extra prepared and have a plan in place.
When Blair first started at The Gym, one of her three-to-five year goals was moving. A silver lining to the furlough is that she and her boyfriend moved back to Jacksonville, Florida, where they are both from. The other goal is to buy a home there, but that may be a while.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode28
Alyson was furloughed from the theme park industry, due to COVID-19. Working in this industry, you don’t think this will happen to you, because theme parks are open year-round and it is a pretty stable industry.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode27
Financial Gym client LaQuana Dobbs, came to The Gym with a goal of increasing her income. After 5 months of being unemployed, LaQuana got a new job in December only to be laid off in March when the pandemic struck. Now, she's taking the time to reevaluate her career path.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode26
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Terri, Level 2 Trainer. She is joined by Kristin Messerli, founder of Cultural Outreach and Ardley, to talk home-buying education.
Kristin started Cultural Outreach about six years ago. Her primary goal was to bridge the gap between financial services, primarily mortgages and home buying. People in her generation and the underserved markets she was serving at that time didn’t have access to that information. Prior to starting her company, Kristin was a social worker. She did a lot of financial education and housing coordination. There is a huge wealth disparity and gap in home buying.
Show notes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode25
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Victoria Sechrist, Level 3 Trainer, located in Boston. She is joined by her client, Renata Joy, to talk about health, wellness, and aging.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode24
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Emily Egan, PR Manager. She is joined by Xiomara Menendez, Level 2 Trainer, to talk about college planning for her daughter.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode23
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Joy Liu, Level 2 Trainer. She is joined by Stella Gold, Level 2 Trainer, and Victoria Sechrist, Level 3 Trainer, to talk about tips for working at home.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode22
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Emily Egan, PR Manager. She is joined by Rebekkah Holleman and Lisa Heavin, to talk about warm-up calls.
- The warm-up call is usually the client’s first contact with The Gym, and the goal is to welcome new clients. Warm-up calls also help clients understand how The Gym will work with them and what The Gym can do to help them. This also helps The Gym get to know the client and learn about their goals, struggles, and what they are working on.
- Warm-up call associates match clients to trainers and match them with the right program.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode21
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Victoria Sechrist, Level 3 Trainer. She is joined by her client, Claire, to talk about meal prepping.
Clare lives in Vancouver, Washington, and she is a licensed mental health therapist in a private group practice. She specializes in trauma, grief, perinatal loss, miscarriage, anxiety, and EMDR (eye movement desensitization to process trauma). She is currently doing video sessions.
In addition, Clare is an expert meal prepper. Prior to COVID-19, Claire’s quarterly dining out number was under $100, which means she spends less than $33 per month on dining.
Claire got serious about meal prepping around age 20 or 21, because she had developed food allergies to wheat, dairy, eggs, banana, and pineapple. All baked goods are off limits.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode20
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Shannon McLay, Founder and CEO of The Financial Gym. Shannon will talk about the plan for The Financial Gym moving forward, due to COVID-19.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode19
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Emily Egan, PR Manager. She is joined by her trainer, Chandra Savage, Level 2 Trainer, to discuss the fear of money (chrematophobia), money prisons, and the spirit of money.
Chrematophbia is the fear of money. At some point in your life, you are going to have this fear, whether you are making too little or making too much. Chandra has had periods of time where she had a fear of money. However, she never feared having too much.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode18
In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Hector Lopez, a Certified Financial Trainer based out of Los Angeles.
A few years ago Hector was looking for podcasts in Spanish that taught financial literacy, and he couldn’t find anything. That’s why he decided to record an episode in Spanish about getting financially healthy. He wants to have something he would be proud to give to his parents and family to listen too.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode17
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Jenny Maenpaa, a FinGym client and Founder of Forward In Heels, where she is a clinical therapist and also an author based in Chelsea, New York. She is here to talk to anyone who’s feeling anxious about what COVID-19 means for their financial and personal health going forward.
NOTE: This episode was recorded on March 20, 2020 so certain things are true to that time and may developed since then.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode16
Today, our host is Joy Liu, Level 2 Trainer at The Financial Gym. She is joined by Bridget Todd, Level 3 Trainer, to discuss how you can prepare mentally and financially for an impending recession.
Shownotes:
https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode15
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is FinGym Client, Will Paybarah who has a full time job and is also a freelancer. He is joined by his friend Scott, a full-time freelancer, to discuss the freelancing industry in relation to finances.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Victoria, Level 3 Trainer, in Boston. She is going to discuss your goals versus expectations of other people and how that affects the major money decisions you make.
Podcast Notes
- Victoria sees plenty of clients that make really big money choices based on other people’s expectations of them and not based on their own goals. This may mean that clients are going into debt to fulfill an expectation of a parent, sibling, friend, etc. It is usually not even something they want to do.
- Victoria came up with the top three goals she sees from clients, and when they dig a little deeper many find that these are goals are ones they feel they “should” accomplish. More often than not, these goals are pricey and have a major affect on their finances.
- During the first session, the naked session, one of the questions is, “What are your goals?”. One thing Victoria is looking for is the word “should”. That is the first clue a client is trying to live out expectations of other people.
- If you find yourself thinking you “should” reach a certain goal, ask yourself, Says who? Who says you should do that? Do you agree? If not, why are you working toward that goal?
Shownotes:
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Emily Egan, PR and Strategic Projects Manager. She is joined by FinGym Client Catherine Lavelle to talk about going back to school later in life and how to get someone else to pay for it.
Podcast Notes
- Catherine works in admissions at a college in New York. Recently, she started a company on the side to help people go back to school.
- In her work in admissions, she came across a lot of people who were looking to pick up where they left off five, ten, or fifteen years ago, when they had to quit due to life.
- The first thing Catherine recommends is to define your goals and figure out what is most important to you. Is it to finish in the shortest amount of time possible? Or is it to get a particular degree or to reach a particular goal?
- A good place to start is a weigh in to see where you are. Did you leave school with an associate’s degree? Did you leave because you failed out or were dismissed?
- One of the secrets most people don’t know is that your school wants you to finish. When you finish your degree, their completion rates go up and it makes them look better.
- If you leaving school was not on a positive note, you can make an appeal. How many credits do you have? What were your grades? Do you owe the school money? If money is a roadblock, talk to someone in admissions.
- Catherine tries to tease out the specifics to see where each client is and create a roadmap to move forward.
- Sometimes private schools offer discounts to returning students. Going back to the college you left is a great place to start. You may qualify for a reverse transfer and take classes at another school and apply them to a previous school toward a degree.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Emily Egan, PR Manager and Strategic Projects Manager. She is joined by Cessie, Financial Gym client since 2018, to discuss beauty and skincare.
Podcast Notes
- Cessie has been working with Bridget at The Financial Gym since 2018. She originally wanted to get financially fit for her wedding and she didn’t want to let go of her beauty routine.
- Beauty has always been important to Cessie. She is Latina and has always been exposed to the world of beauty. Her mother and grandmother always stressed the importance of skincare. Cessie grew up in Miami and was always exposed to the heat and sun.
- Cessie has always been good about wearing sunscreen, but she didn’t take it seriously until her mid-twenties.
- In her twenties, she was on a budget and bought her skincare products from the drugstore. There are some products you can use from the drugstore, but there are some that you shouldn’t try to be cheap on. Your skin is an organ, and a lot of these products are going into your body.
- In 2018, Cessie had just gotten engaged and was planning her wedding when she started working with Bridget. She lives in New York City and she needed help saving for the cost of the wedding and to have some work done on her skin.
- Leading into the wedding, Cessie started getting laser work done on her face, to get rid of brown spots. She had to do three sessions, and the total cost was about $1,000. The laser targets any dark spots.
- Cessie was also intrigued by Botox, because she wanted to get rid of some smile lines around her eyes. She looked into it and found it was pretty affordable - about $10 and $20 per unit, which is about $300 or $400, and it lasts about three to four months.
- After the wedding, Cessie loved the way her skin looked and she wanted to keep it up, so she worked with Bridget to keep these things in her budget.
- After doing the laser, your skin gets very sensitive and starts to dry up. The dermatologist recommended CeraVe, which is a drug store brand, because the face wash is loaded with hyaluronic acid, which helps retain elasticity in your skin.
- Cessie got hooked on it and continues to use that face wash. The face wash she used before was a department store brand and was very expensive, where CeraVe is $16.99 at the drugstore.
- Washing your face too much is not the best thing for you, because it strips your face of the essential oils that help you retain collagen and elasticity. An oily face is actually a healthy face.
- Cessie started reading a lot about beauty online and she has a lot of friends in the beauty industry who are trying different products. Every time she goes to the dermatologist, she asks a lot of questions.
- Cessie goes, Dr. Vivian Chin, on the Upper East Side, who is a medical director and the founder of Koru Wellness Aesthetics. They do everything from facials to fillers, Botox, and lasers.
- Cessie started going to Dr. Chin when she was getting her skin ready for her wedding. It is important to meet with someone who is patient and who will explain the different options.
- If you can’t afford Botox or lasers, it is important to make sure you find a good face mask, drink a lot of water, make sure your face is always moisturized, and take care of your body.
- If you are on a budget, you can cut back on body products and use drugstore products, like CeraVe cleanser.
- Don’t skimp on sunscreen. It doesn’t need to be expensive, just make sure it is SPF 40 or above. Cessie loves using Supergoop!, because it is vegan and free of toxins.
- Cessie’s two non-negotiables are beauty and fitness, because they are really important to her. She cut back on other things like going out to eat.
- In taking care of your skin you spend less in the long run, especially on makeup, because you don’t need to cover up your skin as much.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Gym, our host is Jenny Harp, Level 2 Trainer. She is joined by Financial Gym client, Claire, to discuss her experience at The Financial Gym.
Claire found The Financial Gym through Instagram. Claire was paired up with Jenny as her Trainer, and in the last three months, Claire doubled her savings.
Prior to The Gym, Claire didn’t know anything about money. She didn’t know how to save or budget. Jenny talked to Claire about automatic savings, and Claire set up a direct deposit out of every paycheck into a high-yield savings account. Now she has five savings accounts designated for different things.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode11
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Sean Ho, Mid-Level Full Stack Developer. He talks about how he survived in New York for four years on a $30k annual salary. Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode10
In this bonus episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Gym Shannon McLay, CEO and Founder of The Financial Gym and Caitlin Lyttle, Head of Marketing and Client Experience, talk about the terms of the The Gym's Limited Money Back Guarantee.
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Victoria Sechrist, Boston-based Level 3 Trainer. She is joined by her client, Lindsay Rootare, to discuss Lindsay’s job at Slice, the pizza app; working as an actress, writer, producer, and director; and Lindsay’s podcast.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/episode8
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Shannon McLay, CEO and Founder of The Gym. She is joined by Nick O’Neil, Level 2 Trainer, and Phil Nelson, Level 2 Trainer, to discuss working at The Gym.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financiallynakedpodcast/menofthegym
During this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Kadri Augustin, Level 2 Financial Trainer. Joining him for a conversation about overspending and what not to do in your 20s is Gus Gosson, Level 2 Financial Trainer.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financially-naked-podcast/overspending-with-kadri-and-gus
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories From The Financial Gym PR Manager Emily Egan sits down with Tai Wiggins, The Gym's Head of Business Development. They talk about what financial wellness means for employees.
During the first episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, founder and CEO Shannon McLay speaks to her leadership team about everything from making decisions, internet trolls and the #1 thing people should know when coming to The Gym!
Guests: Alicia Lazarto, Bridget Todd, Caitlin Lyttle
In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The FInancial Gym, our host is Financial Trainer Sara Belhouari. She speaks with Beca Soto, another Financial Trainer about manifesting and what it means to them in their personal and professional lives.
https://financialgym.com/financially-naked-podcast/manifesting
Level 3 Trainer Georgina Muri speaks about impact investing - what it is and how to get started.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financially-naked-podcast/imapact-investing
In this episode our host is Trainer Terri Bennett. Joining her to talk about their paths in the FIRE movement is The Gym's Senior Developer, Nicole Lamanga.
Shownotes: https://financialgym.com/financially-naked-podcast/flexible-fire